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Kelsey Plum corrects ‘huge misconception’ about WNBA pay gap

Kelsey Plum had a career year for the Las Vegas Aces in 2022. (Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)

Las Vegas Aces star Kelsey Plum wants to correct the narrative around the WNBA’s fight for equal pay.

WNBA players aren’t looking for the same salaries as their NBA counterparts. They’re looking to earn an equal percentage of their league’s shared revenue, as Plum said Monday on The Residency Podcast.

“We’re not asking to get paid what the men get paid,” she said. “We’re asking to get paid the same percentage of revenue shared.”

She called the idea that the WNBA players want to get paid the same amount as NBA players a “huge misconception.”

“In the NBA, they have percentages of revenue shared for the players — so, jersey sales, obviously their TV contracts,” Plum said. “But that’s because their CBA negotiates, where the owners are making certain types of money, [the players] get that as well. In the WNBA, that’s not the case.”

The NBA’s CBA splits revenue evenly between players and owners.

Under the WNBA’s collective bargaining agreement, players benefit from revenue sharing — but they get a 50-50 split of incremental revenue, not all revenue, per Her Hoops Stats. And the WNBPA receives 50 percent of revenue from player-specific jersey sales.

“I don’t think I should get paid the same as LeBron,” Plum said. “But the percentage of revenue — like for example: they sell my jersey in Mandalay Bay, I don’t get a dime. So that’s the stuff we’re talking about.”

Players won’t be able to negotiate for those changes until 2025, which is when the current CBA expires. But given the recent growth of the league, the WNBA landscape could look a lot different by then.

“We’re young. We’re only 25 years in, the NBA is at 100,” she said. “Where we’re at, at 25, we’re way past where the NBA was. We don’t forget that though, we compare where we’re at now to where the NBA is now.

“My goal is, by the time I leave the league I would like to see it a lot better than I found it,” she said. “I’m here to ruffle some feathers. If you want change, you’ve got to be able to see the change. If I have to take a couple of shots for someone else to be able to [do something], I’m all for it.”

Three-Time WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson Joins Nike x LEGO Collaboration

A graphic of a girl playing basketball and the LEGO Nike Dunk set's basketball Minifigure, B’Ball Head.
The Wilson-backed Nike x LEGO project is intended to "inspire kids everywhere to embrace the joy of active and creative play." (Nike)

Las Vegas Aces star forward A'ja Wilson is teaming up with Nike and Danish toymaker LEGO as part of the two brands' new multi-year collaboration, the apparel giant announced on Thursday morning.

According to the release, the partnership aims to "inspire kids everywhere to play both on and off the court."

Nike and LEGO's collaboration will include experiential activations in the US, UK, and China this summer in conjunction with the United Nations' International Day of Play on June 11th.

The companies are also releasing product collections, beginning with the 1,180-piece LEGO Nike Dunk set, which features an iconic Nike Dunk sneaker, a brick basketball, and the "Dunk" slogan.

Three-time WNBA MVP Wilson will support the project "by helping engage kids through a reimagined world of play that will come to life across digital channels," with more information on her involvement to come.

Fresh off the launch her smash-hit A'One signature shoe, Wilson has become one of Nike's most prominent athletes. Her addition to the Nike x LEGO team comes on the heels of a lucrative six-year contract extension between Wilson and the sportswear brand late last year.

"I have loved playing with LEGO bricks since I was a kid and know that my creativity and play helped me not only in sports but also at school and in life," said Wilson.

The 1,180-piece LEGO Nike Dunk set features an iconic Nike Dunk sneaker, a brick basketball, and the "Dunk" slogan.
The 1,180-piece LEGO Nike Dunk set will be released on July 1st. (Nike)

How to buy drops from the Nike x LEGO collection

The LEGO Nike Dunk set will hit shelves on July 1st, though it's currently available to preorder online.

The first Nike footwear, apparel, and accessories products from the collaboration will drop in the brand's retail locations and online on August 1st.

Liberty vs. Indiana Game Sets WNBA Viewership Record on CBS

The Indiana Fever stands during the National Anthem at Gainbridge Fieldhouse before a 2025 WNBA game.
Saturday's Liberty vs. Fever matchup drew the second-highest viewership on record for CBS. (Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images)

The WNBA is dominating the air waves in its 2025 season, with last weekend's slate of games blowing past yet another TV viewership record.

The New York Liberty's 90-88 win over the Indiana Fever averaged 2.22 million viewers on CBS, with the Saturday showdown marking the second-highest WNBA viewership in network history.

That clash follows a record-setting 2025 season tip-off, in which ABC's May 17th doubleheader became the most-watched WNBA opening weekend ever on ESPN's platforms, earning a 115% viewership increase over last year's regular-season coverage.

Notably, both New York and Indiana contributed to that record-setting initial Saturday slate. A 92-78 Liberty win over the Las Vegas Aces averaged 1.3 million viewers, before the Fever's 93-58 defeat of the Chicago Sky claimed an average audience of 2.7 million fans.

The closing matchup between Indiana and Chicago made even more history, peaking at 3.1 million viewers to become the most-watched regular-season WNBA game in 25 years.

The Midwest rivals also tallied the second-largest audience in league history, surpassed only by the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game's 3.44 million viewers.

With Fever star Caitlin Clark set to miss at least four games with a quad strain, concerns over lags in attendance and viewership have started to crop up this week.

Those fears, however, might be overblown, as 11,183 fans packed Baltimore's CFG Bank Arena to watch the Washington Mystics take on the Fever on Wednesday night — while Clark looked on from the bench.

Washington Mystics Defeat Indiana Fever as Injured Clark Rides the Bench

Washington's Brittney Sykes lays up a shot during a 2025 WNBA game while teammate Aaliyah Edwards and Indiana's DeWanna Bonner, Lexie Hull, and Aliyah Boston look on.
Guard Brittney Sykes led the Mystics in scoring with 21 points. (Stephen Gosling/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Washington Mystics have continued to impress in the early 2025 WNBA season, earning another big win on Wednesday with an 83-77 victory over a Caitlin Clark-less Indiana Fever.

As the star guard watched from the sidelines, the Mystics leaned into their depth, securing the win behind a 21-point, nine-rebound performance from guard Brittney Sykes.

Now sitting sixth in the league with a 3-3 record, Washington's rebuild appears to be moving ahead of schedule, with rookie duo Kiki Iriafen and Sonia Citron looking pro-ready from the jump.

Seizing their opportunity as day-one starters, the pair put up a collective 29 points against Indiana on Wednesday, joining Sykes and forward Shakira Austin as the only Mystics to finish in double digits.

Indiana, on the other hand, looked shaky without their injured young superstar.

Despite veteran forward DeWanna Bonner coming off the bench to lead the Fever with 21 points on Wednesday night, Indiana dropped to 2-3 on the season with Clark out for at least three more games.

"We weren't sharp enough to be a contender for anything tonight," Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell, who led Indiana's starters with 14 points, told reporters after the loss. "I think getting punched in the mouth early is humbling, because it shows where we need to be."

How to watch the Mystics and Fever in this week's WNBA action

Both Washington and Indiana will be back in action on Friday night, when the Mystics will test their form against the surging New York Liberty while the Fever tip off against the still-winless Connecticut Sun at 7:30 PM ET.

Both games will air live on ION.

Euro 2025 Scores 1st US Media Deal as England FA Ups Lionesses Bonus

England players lift the 2022 Euro trophy after the UEFA tournament's final match.
England players will receive a record bonus from the FA should they repeat as Euro champions this summer. (Visionhaus/Getty Images)

With the 16-team UEFA Euro 2025 set to kick off in Switzerland in less than five weeks, UEFA is seizing the opportunity to expand its global footprint following a breakout 2022 tournament.

The continental governing body is starting stateside, with Fox Sports announcing Wednesday that its platforms will air 20 matches from the upcoming 31-game European Championship live — marking the women's side's largest US media deal on record.

With no major events scheduled for the USWNT, international women's soccer will take center stage this summer, as the Euro, Copa América, and Africa Cup of Nations all return in July.

Fox Sports will also bring Copa América action to US viewers for the first time ever this summer, with broadcast details still to come.

Thousands gather in London's trafalgar Square to celebrate the Euro 2022 champion England team.
A second Euro trophy this summer would earn the Lionesses a £1.7 million bonus. (Vuk Valcic/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

England raises prize money for Lionesses

England is also upping its investment, with the FA agreeing to pay the Lionesses a record £1.7 million bonus package — nearly $2.3 million — should they successfully defend their 2022 title.

This year's total more than doubles the amount England players received for reaching the 2023 World Cup final.

While exact sums will vary, player payouts would average £73,000 each (over $98,000) — up some £18,000 ($24,000) from the Lionesses' 2022 earnings.

The move follows UEFA's earlier decision to double its own prize pool in 2025, raising the total purse to £34 million (almost $46 million), including an extra £4.3 million ($5.8 million) for the winner.

How to watch the 2025 Euros this summer

The 2025 European Championship kicks off on July 2nd when Iceland faces Finland at 12 PM ET before Switzerland takes on Norway at 3 PM ET, live on Fox.

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