WATCH: Kelsey Plum embarrasses herself and the WNBA during CBA negotiations by biting the only hand that gives players any leverage

Something felt off in Indianapolis this weekend. Before tip-off at the WNBA All-Star Game, both squads wore black t-shirts that read, “Pay Us What You Owe Us.” Even Caitlin Clark, who didn’t play due to injury, wore one. It was clearly a coordinated message aimed at the WNBA league office in the middle of tense CBA negotiations.

WNBA players wear “Pay Us What You Owe Us” shirts but the message rings hollow when you’re still running a deficit >>

Powerful visual, sure. But the message lands flat when the league can’t even turn a profit.

“Pay Us What You Owe Us”? WNBA players miss the mark while continuing to bite the only hand that feeds them

The WNBA All-Stars came out wearing “Pay Us What You Owe Us” shirts

The player’s association is currently negotiating a new CBA with the league

pic.twitter.com/XvOa7n61nS

— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) July 20, 2025

Follow the Money

Let’s talk facts. The WNBA is still subsidized by the NBA. Always has been. Despite rising ratings thanks to the Caitlin Clark effect, the league still reportedly lost over $40 million last season.

Yes, there’s a $2.2 billion media rights deal starting in 2026. Yes, revenue hit around $200 million last year. The kicker is that expenses still outweigh income. This isn’t about talent. This is about business. You can’t demand backpay from an invisible surplus.

So, Who’s Owed What?

WNBA players argue they deserve more with popularity on the rise. They would, if the league were actually making money. You simply do not get to demand bigger slices of the pie until the pie actually exists. The NBA is still footing the bills that include salaries, travel, and operations, so literally, the whole thing.

So when the shirts said “Pay Us What You Owe Us”, it was more of a fantasy than a rallying cry. Until the WNBA becomes self-sustaining, there’s no “owed” money. There’s just hope the league stops hemorrhaging cash.

And Then There’s the Caitlin Clark Problem

The irony is that these players are wearing those shirts while simultaneously doing everything possible to embarrass and isolate the only reason anyone’s watching.

Caitlin Clark has single-handedly boosted ratings, ticket sales, merchandise, and media attention. Without her, that new TV deal looks very different. Yet, players continue to treat her like an outsider instead of a lifeline.

Enter Kelsey Plum. Someone who, up until this weekend, most people couldn’t even pick out of a lineup.

Insane behavior. 😂 https://t.co/Qd7B8LKRp4

— Drew Smith (@drewmsmith) July 21, 2025

Plum said, “Not to tattletale: 0 members of Team Clark were very present for that.” Cool story. Was that supposed to make her look bad? Instead, it just exposes how resentful and threatened players like Plum are by Clark’s stardom.

Kelsey Plum takes a weird jab at Caitlin Clark, gets hit right back

Time to Wake Up, Kelsey Plum and the rest of the WNBA

If Kelsey Plum or anyone else in the league had any business sense, they’d be amplifying Caitlin Clark, not trying to ice her out. You want to make real money someday? Then start promoting the players who bring value.

There’s no better place to start than Caitlin Clark. You can’t rely on politics and slogans to generate revenue. Not in pro sports. Until the players realize that, the WNBA will continue being its own worst enemy.

From a PR perspective, when the league behaves like Kelsey Plum, it’s pretty easy to understand why the majority of social media is saying things like the league doesn’t even deserve more money. The growing sentiment is that the WNBA doesn’t deserve Caitlin Clark or any attention, let alone a league at all.

The WNBA and some of their biggest stars not named Caitlin Clark are unserious and until they are, you can’t really expect anyone to actually care about their CBA or in all reality, watch their sub-par product that is completely subsidized by the NBA.

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