Kelsey Sparks Plum slides Caitlin Clark, his All-Star team on striking t-shirts
NEWNow you can listen to News articles!
The Los Angeles Sparks star, Kelsey Plum, hit Caitlin Clark and her All-Star team during a press conference after the game on Saturday night while talking about the players’ protest.
WNBA ALL-STARS, including Clark, who was marginalized by an injury, wore t-shirts that said: “We paid what you owe us.” The shot through the WNBA bow came in the midst of tense conversations about its new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) for 2026 and beyond.
Click here for more sports coverage at News
Kelsey Plum from Los Angeles Sparks shoots during the 3-point contest on the basketball weekend of the WNBA All-Star on Friday, July 18, 2025 in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Plum, who was sitting next to New York Freedom Star, Sabrina Ionescu, made a strange revelation on the decision to wear the shirts. Even ionscu, which was in Clark’s team during the stars game, seemed to be baffled.
“It was a very powerful moment,” Plum said. “We did not, at least as players, we didn’t know that this was going to happen. I think it was a kind of genuine surprise. But the shirt, just, United, was determined this morning, that we had a meeting. And, you know, do not tattletal, but zero members of the Clark team were very present for that.”
Caitlin Clark, #22 of Indiana Fever, uses a shirt that says “we pay what you owe us” before the 2025 AT&T WNBA stars game in Gainbridge Fieldhouse on July 19, 2025 in Indianapolis. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
WNBA Stars’s All-Star Game Message in increasing payment draws the reaction of social networks
Ionescu added: “It is not necessary to really mention,” while shook his head disapproving.
“I am trying to make the situation light, agree? I think we were all on the same page before the game, and we wanted to do something that joined and collective and I thought it was a very powerful moment and gave us the point of view,” Plum continued. “And sometimes you don’t have to say anything.”
The protest was the weekend conversation when the players criticized WNBA officials in the midst of negotiations.
The WNBA commissioner, Cathy Engelbert, said on Saturday that he believed that an agreement would be made before the current CBA expires.
The WNBA commissioner, Cathy Engelbert, speaks during a press conference before the WNBA All-Star basketball game on Saturday, July 19, 2025 in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Click here to get the News application
“I am still really optimistic that we will do something that is transformative,” he said. “And that, next year at All-Star, we will be talking about how good everything is. Obviously there is a lot of hard work to do on both sides to get there.”
News contributed to this report.
Follow News Digital’s Sports coverage in X, and subscribe to The News Sports Huddle Bulletin.
Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor of News Digital.