💰MONEY MOVES

THE PLAYERS MAKE A BIG STATEMENT

We’ve talked a lot about CBA negotiations here at the Women’s Basketball Roundup, and on July 17, the league office and WNBPA met in person in Indianapolis.

Depending on who you talk to, it was either a “wasted opportunity” or “constructive.” Either way, we still have a long way to go before the October 31 deadline and the expiration of the current CBA.

Before we get there, WNBA players let it be known that they’re fighting for what they’re owed. The fans in Indiana are standing with them as well.

"That was a powerful moment," Kelsey Plum said postgame when asked about the chants. "We didn't, at least as players, we didn't know that was going to happen. So it was a genuine surprise. Those chants tonight, those signs, it just shows that as players, we are united, but the fans are united in believing what we're seeking.”

For folks out there who are playing semantics games with the word “owe,” here’s WNBPA President Nneka Ogwumike to explain it in a way that’s easy for everyone to understand and not misconstrue:

“We see the growth of the league and, as it stands, the current salary system is not really paying us what we owe. We want to be able to have that fair share moving forward, especially as we see, you know, all of the investment going in. And we want to be able to have our salaries reflected in a structure that makes sense for us.”

As we’ve talked about extensively here at the Women’s Basketball Roundup, there are billions of dollars coming into the game in the next few years, and even more coming along the way. Napheesa Collier mentioned in postgame that this league is built on the players and the blood, sweat, and tears they’ve put in to get to this point.

It wasn’t that long ago that the WNBA had to fight for survival after its media partner deliberately sabotaged them and made it challenging to access the games. Now that we’ve moved past the survival period, we’re in a place where everyone associated with the league can thrive and prosper. It’s only right that the players get their just due as well.

THE STARS SHINE IN INDIANAPOLIS

ALL-STAR WEEKEND WAS A BLAST

Indianapolis was the place to be as WNBA All-Star Weekend made its first visit to the Fever’s home turf.

The on-court festivities began on Friday night with the Skills Challenge and Three Point Contest. In the Skills Challenge, it went down to the final seconds as Natasha Cloud was able to eke by Erica Wheeler and capture the crown.

Our very own Erica L. Ayala was on the scene and interviewed a variety of players for CBS Sports:

In the Three Point Contest, Sabrina Ionescu defeated reigning Three Point Contest winner Allisha Gray to win her second three-point crown.

During the game itself, Team Collier cruised to victory as Collier scored an All-Star Game record 36 points and Skylar Diggins recorded the first triple-double in WNBA All-Star history.

The real party, however, was off the court. Natisha Hiedeman and Courtney Williams gave us an all-access behind-the-scenes from Indianapolis with the 72-hour Studbudz stream! Between chatting with fans all around the world, Cathy Engelbert knuckin’ and buckin’ and ready to fight, and Courtney telling Diplo to play better music

It was quite the sight in Indy!

The WNBA made Indianapolis the coolest city in the United States for the weekend and was able to welcome some new fans into the fold. Sports are supposed to be fun, and getting a look at All-Star Weekend from Williams and Hiedeman’s perspective took what was already a fun time and made it something we’ll never forget.

 UNRIVALED GETS SOME NEW RECRUITS

THE NEXT GENERATION GETS THE CALL

Unrivaled was a hit in Year One. The new 3×3 league was able to establish itself in its first year and give basketball fans something new and fun to watch in the winter time here in the USA. For year two, they’ve already got Paige Bueckers on the way as an investor. And coming soon, we’ll have even more young stars joining the fray.

On July 19, Unrivaled announced a new Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) agreement with the following NCAA stars:

• Lauren Betts

  Sienna Betts

• Madison Booker

• Audi Crooks

• Azzi Fudd

• MiLaysia Fulwiley

• Hannah Hidalgo

• Flau’jae Johnson

• Ta’Niya Latson

• Olivia Miles

• Kiki Rice

• Sarah Strong

• Syla Swords

• JuJu Watkins

Similar to Bueckers, Watkins is already an investor in the league and will play for them in the years to come.

"Investing in elite women's basketball talent is central to Unrivaled's mission," Unrivaled president of basketball operations Luke Cooper said in a press release. "This transformational, first-of-its-kind initiative brings together the best of the best and reflects our deep commitment to elevating the women's game and holistically supporting athletes."

There’s still so much in the air regarding NIL payments following the House v. NCAA settlement, and we’ll keep you posted as news develops on that front.

As we talked about in the beginning, there’s so much more money coming into women’s basketball these days. With Unrivaled here to stay and growing each year, players across the world will have another venue to ply their craft and receive proper pay for what they do.

📰 WHAT WE’RE READING

At Black Rosie Media, we love to give flowers to other writers and creators in the women’s basketball community.

Here’s what we’re reading:

• WNBA CBA negotiations: Where things stand after All-Star Weekend as potential work stoppage looms by Erica L. Ayala for CBS Sports

• Jonquel Jones to return shortly after All-Star break by Brian Fleurantin for NetsDaily

• Bleacher Report's Top 20 WNBA Player Rankings at 2025 All-Star Break by Nekias Duncan for Bleacher Report

• Players, fans put CBA center stage during WNBA All-Star Weekend by Jacob Rude for Breakaway

• Skylar Diggins mixes consistency with entertainment to make her own brand of basketball by Chelsea Leite for Breakaway

• Texas Deserves Far Better Than This by Joel Anderson for The Ringer

• Evolving Through Life with Women’s Wrestling by Kat Bourne for Blog of Doom

⛹🏽‍♀️ UPCOMING GAMES

Here’s the schedule for the next few days (Eastern Standard Time)

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