The WNBA All-Star Game in 2025 was already a historic moment, not just for the display of athleticism but for the league-wide statement players made off the court. Kelsey Plum, with a badly-timed joke by her own admission, may have taken some of the glimmer away from the statement made by Caitlin Clark and her peers.
Before the game, every athlete donned a “Pay Us What You Owe Us” T-shirt, signaling unity amid tense Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) negotiations. In the aftermath of Team Collier’s 151-131 victory, Los Angeles Sparks guard Plum unintentionally generated controversy with remarks about her opponents, drawing media scrutiny and fan attention.
Speaking to reporters after the win, Plum quipped, “Zero members of Team Clark were very present” for the team meeting, laughing alongside teammate Sabrina Ionescu, who said: “That really needed to be mentioned.”
Though intended as lighthearted banter, the comment quickly drew attention and sparked debate over perceived slights toward Caitlin Clark and her teammates.
An important clarification from Kelsey Plum
Plum later clarified her remarks during an appearance on Sue Bird’s podcast, “Bird’s Eye View.” When Bird characterized the comment as a “joke” that “just got twisted,” Plum agreed, reflecting on the timing.
“I made a bad joke. I made a really bad joke … And I should have – like, hindsight’s 20/20, because of the shirts, because of the fans – I should have known it was a way more serious moment than a typical All-Star Game,” she explained.
She elaborated on the environment leading up to the press conference. “I went into that press conference very, like, happy-go-lucky we won, you know? Had a great weekend, my family’s here, it was just a great time.
“The questions came in, and it was like, ‘CBA, this, this, this.’ Honestly. Birdie, it was like, ‘Hey, Team Clark, they didn’t make it to the meeting either.’ Just making a joke that they were hungover, trying to make the room lighter.”
Plum stressed that her comment should not overshadow the players’ broader message of solidarity during a crucial labor negotiation period.
“Obviously, we’re all on the same page. We all wore the shirts. Like, we’re all unified,” she said. She acknowledged feeling discouraged that the joke took attention away from the larger cause.
“I think, if anything, I was just more discouraged because I felt like it took away from the moment of what we were trying to do. You don’t even get to respond and if you do, you seem defensive,” she said.
Unity over division in the WNBA
The incident underscores the delicate balance professional athletes must maintain between candid moments and public perception, especially in an era dominated by social media amplification.
While the All-Star festivities are meant to be celebratory, the ongoing CBA negotiations have heightened awareness among players and fans alike. The T-shirt demonstration became a symbol of shared purpose, signaling to league officials that the athletes are unified in their demands for fair treatment and compensation.
For Plum, the experience serves as a reminder of the spotlight athletes are under and the potential for lighthearted comments to be misinterpreted. Her clarification aims to reaffirm that no disrespect was intended toward Clark or her team, highlighting the camaraderie and shared advocacy that define the WNBA community.
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