The 2025 WNBA All-Star Game: More Than a Game
The 2025 WNBA All-Star Game, held in Indianapolis, will not be remembered for on-court performances, but for a powerful demonstration of solidarity. During warm-ups, all players wore black t-shirts with the slogan “Pay Us What You Owe Us.” This slogan referred to the collective bargaining negotiations between the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) and the WNBA, where the players felt that significant progress had not been made. The decision to wear the jerseys was unanimous, with all 22 All-Stars on board. This display of unity highlights the importance of solidarity in the WNBA, a principle rooted long before the current negotiations. However, the realities of the players are diverse, which adds complexity to the negotiations. Some are millionaires thanks to off-court sponsorships, while others depend primarily on their salaries in the WNBA. Salaries in 2025 ranged from $66,079 (the minimum) to $249,244 (the super maximum). In addition, there are players with rookie contracts, veterans nearing retirement, mothers, international players, and future WNBA prospects. A more recent factor in these negotiations is the participation of some players as owners or co-founders of other professional leagues. With the deadline for the new collective bargaining agreement set for November 30, the WNBPA and the WNBA are seeking a “transformative” agreement. Alofoke Deportes analyzes the diverse perspectives of the players and the WNBPA, and how these differences could influence the negotiations.
The Negotiator: Terri Jackson, Executive Director of the WNBPA
Terri Jackson, who assumed the role of executive director in 2016, is participating in her second collective bargaining negotiations. In 2020, she led the negotiations that achieved significant advances for the players, including significant salary increases, improvements in free agency, and benefits for mothers and players on parental leave. The relationship between Jackson and WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert appears to have cooled since then. Jackson criticized Engelbert’s comments in 2024 about online criticism from fans. This year, the union has shown a more critical stance towards the WNBA and the NBA in labor negotiations, seeking to influence public opinion with actions such as the use of “Pay Us What You Owe Us” jerseys in the All-Star Game. This collective bargaining agreement could be crucial for Jackson’s legacy, so it is vital to maintain unity among the players and ensure that the interests of all, including the stars and lower-ranked players, are protected.
Before the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game, players like Indiana star Caitlin Clark wore shirts with the slogan “Pay us what you owe us”.
Superstars with Large Off-Court Earnings
Some players, such as Caitlin Clark (Indiana Fever), A’ja Wilson (Las Vegas Aces), Sabrina Ionescu (New York Liberty), Angel Reese (Chicago Sky), and Paige Bueckers (Dallas Wings), have significant sponsorship deals that exceed their WNBA salaries. These players, both veterans and rookies, could face a possible work stoppage without financial difficulties. However, the visibility provided by the WNBA is key to maintaining these sponsorships. Caitlin Clark has two years remaining on her rookie contract. Once she becomes a free agent, she could financially afford to take a lower salary to play with a competitive team, as Wilson has done. However, the new collective bargaining agreement could change this dynamic.
Role Players
Players like Kiah Stokes (Las Vegas Aces), Natisha Hiedeman (Minnesota Lynx), and Lindsay Allen (Connecticut Sun) represent role players. Their experiences and financial situations vary significantly. Some have good incomes in foreign leagues, Unrivaled, or Athletes Unlimited. Those who do not have these sources of income depend more on their jobs in the WNBA, and a work interruption could affect them more directly. A considerable salary increase would have a significant impact on this group. In addition, an increase in the number of positions in the staff, either by expansion or by an increase in their size, would provide them with more opportunities to play on teams where they can earn more money or find the perfect fit.
Players with Rookie Contracts
Kiki Iriafen (Washington Mystics), Aaliyah Edwards (Connecticut Sun), and Maddy Siegrist (Dallas Wings) are examples of players with rookie contracts. For them, the increase in the minimum salary is crucial. When the minimum increased by 36% in 2020, rookie contracts were revised upwards so that no player earned less than the minimum. Given that a further increase is likely on this occasion, newly recruited players could benefit, despite being under contract. However, since they have promising careers ahead, young WNBA players will not want to sign agreements that limit their future earnings. This collective agreement will determine not only the upcoming seasons, but will also lay the groundwork for future agreements.
Players Nearing Retirement
DeWanna Bonner (Phoenix Mercury), Alysha Clark (Washington Mystics), Sami Whitcomb (Phoenix Mercury), and Tina Charles (Connecticut Sun) are examples of players nearing the end of their careers. Bonner, who turned 38 in August, was the second-oldest active player in the WNBA last season. A player of her age is likely to have a strong interest in the WNBA establishing a pension plan similar to that of NBA players. Currently, the WNBA has a 401(k); the NBA has that plus a pension plan, which began in the 1960s and is based on years of service and average salary.
Players on the Roster Bubble
Players like Kiana Williams (Phoenix Mercury), Haley Jones (Dallas Wings), and Elizabeth Kitley (Golden State Valkyries) benefit from the league’s expansion. The addition of the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo teams in 2026 will create at least 24 new roster spots. The roster expansion could generate even more opportunities. WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike believes that increasing rosters to 13 players or adding an injured list are “incredibly reasonable” options.Larger rosters not only benefit financially the players who are on the limit, but also give them the opportunity to develop within a specific team’s system. This is better than the current emergency contracts, which force players like Williams to travel long distances at the last minute to join new teams and play immediately.
International Players
Gabby Williams (Seattle Storm), Emma Meesseman (New York Liberty), and Satou Sabally (Phoenix Mercury) are examples of international players. Priority is an important issue for Gabby Williams and other international stars. The rule requiring players to report at the start of training camp almost kept Williams out of the 2023 season, and prevented her from joining the WNBA until after the Paris 2024 Olympics. In her first full WNBA season in 2025, Williams was selected as an All-Star for the first time. If the league seeks exclusivity, it could generate difficult decisions for international players. The league could also try to prevent players from joining national teams for competitions outside the Olympics and the FIBA World Cup, which would affect continental championships that do not include USA Basketball.
Players with Children
Dearica Hamby (Los Angeles Sparks) and Skylar Diggins (Seattle Storm) are examples of players with children. The current collective bargaining agreement included some of the biggest advances for mothers and pregnant players in the league. It guaranteed that new mothers would receive their full salary during maternity leave, and also provided them with a childcare allowance, workplace accommodations for breastfeeding, and at least a two-bedroom apartment for players with children. The family planning benefits are currently available only to players with eight or more years in the WNBA. It is important for players to expand these protections and benefits.
Star Players with Lower Off-Court Earnings
Kelsey Mitchell (Indiana Fever), Alyssa Thomas (Phoenix Mercury), Brionna Jones (Atlanta Dream), and Natasha Howard (Indiana Fever) are examples of players. Mitchell was the highest-paid player in the WNBA last year ($249,244 in annual income), but unlike other players who are near the maximum salary, such as A’ja Wilson, Mitchell does not have the off-court brand or sponsorship deals that provide her with large supplementary income. Because of this, she does not have the same financial flexibility as others who earn more off the court to accept a lower salary and allow more players to join her team. Mitchell and Thomas received the core designation, which allows players to sign a one-year qualifying offer with the highest possible WNBA salary, but prevents them from signing with another team as a free agent. During the latest collective bargaining negotiations, the maximum number of times a player can be a core player was reduced from three years to two. Now there is a possibility that it will decrease again. If that is the case, Mitchell and Thomas would not be eligible for that tag, which would likely give them more control over their future.
Future WNBA Players
JuJu Watkins (USC Trojans), Flau’jae Johnson (LSU Tigers), Sarah Strong (UConn Huskies), and Lauren Betts (UCLA Bruins) are examples of future prospects. Although current college players are not technically represented at the negotiating table, they are closely following the development of these negotiations. How will the new collective bargaining agreement be and playing in the WNBA for the next generation of stars? How much will the salary of rookies increase with the new agreement? Another matter that must be determined is whether the eligibility rules for the draft will change. Currently, college players can declare themselves eligible for the draft if they turn 22 that year, while international players must be at least 20 years old. If both sides relax these requirements, this would impact talents like Watkins and Strong.
