Peak WNBA talent gathered in Indianapolis, Indiana, last weekend to celebrate all things women’s basketball; the WNBA All-Star Game showcased the past, present, and future stars of the sport, not just on the court but in the culture of the league.
At the midpoint in the WNBA calendar, regular league play pauses to recognize the best of the best. The All-Star weekend includes an orange carpet, skills competitions, parties, and the centerpiece of the weekend, the All-Star Game itself. Leading up to the game, All-Stars are chosen through fan, media, and league votes. The top two vote-getters are named team captains and “draft” the rest of the top-ten vote-getters as starters and twelve reserve players.
This year, the teams were captained by Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark and Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier. (Clark did not ultimately play in the All-Star game, due to an ongoing groin strain.)
Team Clark starters included:
- Aliyah Boston, Indiana Fever
- Sabrina Ionescu, New York Liberty
- A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
- Satou Sabally, Phoenix Mercury
Team Clark reserves:
- Kelsey Mitchell, Indiana Fever
- Gabby Williams, Seattle Storm
- Sonia Citron, Washington Mystics
- Kiki Iriafen, Washington Mystics
- Jackie Young, Las Vegas Aces
- Kayla Thornton, Golden State Valkyries
Team Collier starters included:
- Breanna Stewart, New York Liberty
- Allisha Gray, Atlanta Dream
- Nneke Ogwumike, Seattle Storm
- Paige Bueckers, Dallas Wings
Team Collier reserves included:
- Courtney Williams, Minnesota Lynx
- Skylar Diggins, Seattle Storm
- Angel Reese, Chicago Sky
- Alyssa Thomas, Phoenix Mercury
- Kelsey Plum, Los Angeles Sparks
- Rhyne Howard, Atlanta Dream
Team Collier ultimately won the game, 151-131. Natasha Cloud of the New York Liberty won the Skills Challenge, and Ionescu won the 3-Point Competition.
But, while seeing the talent of these players showcased on the biggest stage of the WNBA, the most exciting and interesting parts of the weekend mostly happened outside of play.
“Pay Us What You Owe Us”
This is probably the most discussed part of the weekend: While warming up for the central game of the weekend, every player on both Team Collier and Team Clark wore black t-shirts that read “Pay us what you owe us,” and included the Women’s National Basketball Players’ Association logo beneath. (By the way, despite some pictures circulating online, Clark wore the same t-shirt. The photo of her wearing a t-shirt that says, “I deserve NBA money” was edited by popular satirical account, NBACentel.) The idea emerged, very last-minute, from a collaborative players’ meeting Saturday morning. They could make their point loud and clear with these striking shirts.
Beyond the basketball and the parties, the fashion and the fun, on Friday morning of the weekend, the WNBPA met with leadership from the WNBA to continue an ongoing conversation surrounding the renegotiation of the Collective Bargaining Agreement that covers the WNBA players; the CBA expires in October 2025.
It’s no secret that women’s basketball, and the WNBA in particular, has seen massive growth since the last CBA was negotiated in 2020. Women’s basketball continues to break TV viewing records and sales records. The league is pouncing on this momentum to expand, adding a historic six teams over the course of six years. This year saw the incredible opening of the Golden State Valkyries, breaking ticket sales records and sell-out records, fostering an absolutely incredible home court environment in “Ballhalla,” what fans lovingly call the Chase Center where the Valkyries play. By 2030, Portland, Toronto, Detroit, Cleveland, and Philadelphia will open their own new teams. Plus, already operating teams are committing to new arenas and player facilities to equalize the spaces awarded to their players.
Beyond the teams, the league negotiated a $2.2 billion media rights deal.
The players want a share of that new influx of money, fueling what negotiations look like now. Collier, WNBPA Vice President, highlights two main issues: a revenue sharing structure and increased salaries.
Ogwumike, WNBPA President, says that players are looking for their salaries to grow with the business, in a revenue-sharing model. While NBA, NFL, and NHL players receive approximately 50% of all income, WNBA players receive 9.3%. Additionally, the highest paid WNBA players, Young, Mitchell, and Jewell Loyd of the Aces receive around $250,000, on average. Bueckers, the number 1 draft pick this year, will earn around $78,000 in her first year. NBA #1 draft pick, Cooper Flagg of the Dallas Mavericks, will earn around $13 million in his first year. The NBA rookie will earn around 13 times more in his first year of play than the entire New York Liberty team will earn this year.
While some make the argument that NBA players are entering a much larger league, the pay disparity is huge. WNBA players usually compete in foreign leagues during their offseason or make deals with sponsorship companies in order to earn more money. Players can also earn more from competing in the All-Star skills competitions, the midseason Commissioners’ Cup, and Unrivaled. Cloud, after winning the Skills Competition, announced to her partner that they would be able to put in a down payment for a house.
While the WNBPA and league commissioner Cathy Engelbert publicly try to remain optimistic, reports came out that the two sides are still very far apart in their negotiations, and their meeting last Friday didn’t bring them any closer.
So, on Saturday night, while warming up for one of the biggest games of the year, the players wore these shirts to make a statement to the league. Following the game, the crowd broke into chants of “Pay them.”
If the two sides do not come to an agreement by October, this could result in a work stoppage or a delay in the 2026 season, something neither side wants. The outcomes of the negotiations could indicate the future for other professional women’s leagues. We expect the deal to make some history for the WNBA and are following closely.
Beyond the drama of the CBA negotiations, the rest of the weekend was full of fun, dancing, and fashion.
The Orange Carpet
The stars came out to shine before they suited up for the games, and we can’t stop looking at the fits. While there were multiple orange carpeted events and tunnel walks for the stars to shine, we’ve gathered the looks from one of the main orange carpet events on July 19.
Angel Reese
Napheesa Collier
Paige Bueckers
Courtney Williams and Natisha Hiedeman
A’ja Wilson
Satou Sabally
Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray
Kelsey Plum
Breanna Stewart
Sabrina Ionescu
StudBudz
While traditional media outlets and sports influencers flooded the orange carpet to interview and showcase the All-Stars, a deep, behind-the-scenes look—possibly the first of its kind anywhere in the sports world, made waves this weekend. We’re talking about the 72-hour livestream from the duo who call themselves the StudBudz. Courtney Williams, of the Lynx and Team Collier, and Lynx teammate Natisha Hiedeman, streamed for the entirety of the weekend and brought an inside look at who the players are.
Sporting bright pink hair and cameras, the duo brought their stream everywhere: the orange carpets, the parties, the events they were late to because they slept in, and courtside. Viewers experienced never-before-seen moments like dancing with Engelbert and more casual looks at the best players.
The viral moments are worth watching, if you haven’t seen them yet, and you too can be glued to your phone like multiple WNBA players to watch the full stream. The duo started a Twitch stream in June, and their platform exploded from there.
The stream showcased a deep friendship among players, whether or not they play for the same organization, went to college together, or are just friends through the league. While traditional media frequently focuses on drama and feuds between players, like the seeming feud between Reese and Clark, for example, the stream showcased a side of the two as friends.
Recent podcast episodes recapping the weekend, including the Gist of It and No Offseason: The Athletic Women’s Basketball Show, discussed what the StudBudz format could mean for the future of sports media. Will others seize on this opportunity? If they do, can they recreate it without Williams and Hiedeman’s personalities? Does this encroach on various media deals with the WNBA?
As with the CBA negotiations, no one knows what the future looks like, but some speculate that the StudBudz could appear at other events like the ESPYs and the Met Gala. The prospect of that entertainment is nothing to shy away from.
The weekend was packed, opening up so many questions about the future of the league and the sport. But we can’t finish talking about All-Star weekend without talking about the most exciting part: Paige Bueckers finally confirmed her relationship with University of Connecticut teammate Azzi Fudd.
Fans have speculated for months, including Fudd’s hard launch on Instagram: she posted a mirror selfie with a phone case that read “Paige Bueckers’ Girlfriend.” Fudd has been courtside to multiple Wings games. While Fudd has posted and spoken publicly about their relationship, Bueckers hadn’t.
Until an interview with Wag Talk on the Orange Carpet. Bueckers was asked how well she knows her D1 girlfriend, including multiple questions about Fudd’s playing history in college and high school, ending with the “reveal” that Bueckers’ girlfriend is in fact Azzi Fudd. While Fudd already told us this, Bueckers confirmed it again. And we cannot contain our excitement for them. We look forward to seeing them together at future WNBA events (or even UConn games).
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