Why WNBA players were right to demand better pay at All-Star Game

New York Post

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00:00Before tip-off at the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game, players stepped onto the court wearing black

00:06t-shirts with a clear message.

00:07It was in bold white letters, pay us what you owe us.

00:11And just like that, after seeing that, the conversation around compensation in women's

00:15sports was all over social media.

00:17Now, some people saw that message and they got real loud, but they also got real wrong.

00:23So, let's break this down.

00:25First things first, this is not about individual salaries.

00:30WNBA players are not asking to be paid the same as NBA stars.

00:33They're asking for a fairer cut of the money they helped generate through media deals,

00:39sponsorships, merch, and more.

00:41This is about revenue sharing.

00:43Now, according to MarketWatch, under the current CBA, WNBA players receive 9.3% of the league's

00:50shared revenue.

00:51To put that in perspective, NBA players get around 50%.

00:54So, when you see, pay us what you owe us, it's not entitlement.

01:00It's a call for equity.

01:01And players chose the All-Star Game, the most visible night of the season, to make sure

01:06their message couldn't be ignored.

01:08But of course, you know what's going to happen.

01:10Here come the bad faith takes.

01:12Now look, I saw this one take on Twitter with one poster saying,

01:16WNBA players want NBA money, but can't even sell out games.

01:21First of all, that is not what they're asking for at all.

01:25Secondly, viewership is up.

01:27Sponsorship, that's also up.

01:29Revenue is growing.

01:30And the league just landed a reported nine-figure media rights deal.

01:34So, if the league is cashing in, why shouldn't the players who built the buzz see a bigger

01:40piece of the pie?

01:41That only seems fair to me.

01:43Nothing wrong with that at all.

01:45Look, this is business.

01:47This is leverage.

01:48And this is exactly why players like Defeza Collier, Asia Wilson, and Brianna Stewart use

01:53their All-Star platform to shine a light on a system that still undervalues them.

01:57Look, you don't have to love the WNBA.

02:00Personally, I don't care whether you do or you don't.

02:03But, you do have to recognize that these athletes are fighting for something that every worker

02:09should understand.

02:10A fair deal, not a handout, not a wish list.

02:14A deal that reflects their impact and their value to the game.

02:17And when they say, pay us what you owe us, the message is clear.

02:22What they mean is, respect our value, honor our contribution, and give us a seat at the

02:27table we helped build.

02:29Because this fight, it isn't just about basketball.

02:32It's about business, principle, and power.

02:35And on that stage, what the All-Star game, the women of the W, they let it be known that

02:41they are done waiting.

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