The WNBA All-Star Game last weekend in Indianapolis was a celebration for the best players in the game over the first half of the season. And it also became an important moment for the players moving forward in the league for years to come as both teams made a statement about what they want in the ongoing CBA negotiations with the WNBA.

Players wore "Pay us what you owe us" shirts during pregame warmups, making it clear they are looking for higher salaries and a bigger cut of league revenue. That makes sense since the league signed a massive new TV deal last month that is worth over $2 billion and are in the process of adding expansion teams over the next few years. Business is booming and the players want to be paid more for their work.

While many people on social media bashed the players for wanting the money they deserve, some big-name media members have come to the defense of players. On Sunday, Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy called the critics "morons" and on Tuesday Fox Sports' Nick Wright called them "such utter losers."

"Nobody serious can actually think that Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and Paige Bueckers making $70-something grand a year is a proper payment for services rendered," he said on his podcast, What's Wright? With Nick Wright. "Is there any other capitalist endeavors—so I’m not talking about social workers, I’m not talking about kindergarten teachers, I’m not talking about firemen—capitalistic endeavor where someone of Caitlin Clark’s quality would make less than $80,000 a year? And the answer is no. It is just outrageous the amount of people that were like, ‘Pipe down, ladies. Be happy.’ So many losers are just boot-licking management sellouts."

Clark currently gets paid a little over $78,000 a year by the Indiana Fever, Angel Reese is getting just under $75,000 from the Chicago Sky, and Paige Bueckers is getting just under $79,000 from the Dallas Wings.

It will be interesting to see how this all plays out, and whether a work stoppage will be necessary for the players to get what they want.

More WNBA on Sports Illustrated


This article was originally published on www.si.com as Nick Wright Rips ‘Such Utter Losers’ for Bashing WNBA Players Wanting More Money.

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