The 2025 WNBA All-Star Weekend became a powerful moment for players to raise their voices about pay equity and fair compensation, with Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Plum at the forefront. Now Hillary Clinton has joined the dissenting voices.
As Napheesa Collier accepted her All-Star MVP award, the crowd erupted with chants of “Pay Them! Pay Them! Pay Them!” – a clear show of solidarity with the players’ demands.
In a striking display of protest, players wore warmup shirts emblazoned with a direct message: “Pay Us What You Owe Us.”
These shirts, sold via the WNBA’s Instagram account with proceeds benefiting the players’ union, captured the attention of fans and media alike. The timing was strategic, coinciding with critical collective bargaining agreement (CBA) negotiations, as players rejected the league’s initial pay proposal.
Hillary Clinton’s high-profile endorsement
The players’ bold stand has garnered powerful support beyond the sports world. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton shared a candid photo of WNBA stars Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Plum wearing the protest shirts.
She declared, “Everyone watches women’s sports-and the players should be paid what they’re owed. I stand with @theWNBPA and everyone else fighting for equal pay.” Clinton’s vocal support amplifies the conversation around pay equity and adds significant momentum to the players’ cause.
The WNBA is enjoying unprecedented growth, with TV ratings up 23 percent from last year, total ticket sales rising 26 percent, and average game attendance increasing 13 percent. The newest team, the Golden State Valkyries, leads attendance figures with over 18,000 fans per game, showing that interest in the league is expanding well beyond its biggest stars.
Despite this surge, players’ salaries remain disproportionately low. Indiana Fever sensation Caitlin Clark, whose impact off the court is estimated at over a billion dollars this year, earns only about $84,000 from the WNBA.
Clark highlighted this disparity, saying, “We’re fortunate to have other deals, but we’re fighting for what we deserve.” Many players also rely on international contracts to make ends meet.
WNBA on the rise
With over four million viewers tuning in to the All-Star Game nationwide, the players’ message reached a vast audience.
The chants from the crowd and the visible protest on players’ shirts helped spotlight an issue that extends beyond basketball. Commissioner Cathy Engelbert acknowledged the league’s growth but also the challenges ahead as negotiations continue.
Selling the protest shirts turned passive fan support into active financial backing of the players’ movement, making the call for fair pay impossible for the league to ignore.
As the October deadline for the CBA approaches, the players’ leverage is stronger than ever. With the league’s rapid growth fueling fan enthusiasm and political figures like Hillary Clinton lending their voices, the WNBA faces increasing pressure to pay players what they are truly owed.
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