Sophie speaks out after Plum takes shot at Clark.
Sophie Cunningham Slams Kelsey Plum Over Team Caitlin Clark Comments originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The 2025 WNBA All-Star Game will be remembered not only for Napheesa Collier’s MVP performance (36 points, a record for an All-Star Game) but also for a bold labor protest and the fallout from a remark by Los Angeles Sparks guard Kelsey Plum.
All 24 All-Stars warmed up in black T-shirts reading "Pay Us What You Owe Us," demanding more salary and revenue-share in the next collective bargaining agreement as chants of "Pay them!" rained down from the sell-out crowd of over 16,000.
But attention shifted in the postgame press conference when Plum said the protest shirts had been decided "this morning" and quipped, "Not to tattletale: Zero members of Team Clark were very present for that."
KP: "It was a very powerful moment. As players, we didn't know that that was going to happen. It was a genuine surprise. The t shirt was determined this morning. Not to tattletale: 0 members of Team Clark were very present for that" https://t.co/2fXgaAuqMRpic.twitter.com/awIfnqLjxv
— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) July 20, 2025
On Wednesday, Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham addressed Plum’s remark on her debut podcast, "Show Me Something," co-hosted with Bravo personality West Wilson.
In the episode, she called Plum "super nice" and "really good at basketball" before then criticizing the focus on who gets credit for the protest.
"This has been what we’ve wanted as a league for years, so who cares who gets the credit?" Cunningham said. "If you’re smart, you’re making money off it — literally from the viewership. I hate when people do stuff that's like clickbait."
Kelsey Plum’s 'Joke' That Didn’t Land
At Saturday night’s press conference, Plum praised the unity of her side but felt compelled to drop the note about Team Clark’s absence.
ESPN insider Ramona Shelburne later explained, "WNBA players — including Kelsey Plum— had been discussing the shirts for over a week. The idea was settled at an early-morning meeting Saturday, which few Team Clark members attended.
"But Nneka Ogwumike, Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier went by the Team Clark locker room to make sure everyone was onboard. Frankly, this was a joke that didn’t land."
More than 40 players attended a CBA meeting with owners on July 17. Unsatisfied with progress, they reconvened Saturday, July 19, at 8:30 a.m.; Collier, Ogwumike and Stewart personally ensured Team Clark members had the plan before tipoff, despite Clark’s groin injury ruling her out of the game.
With league-record WNBA All-Star Game viewership, a blockbuster $2.2 billion media deal and expansion fees topping $250 million, the WNBA is on an upward trajectory, and players are demanding pay that represents that.
Related: Lexie Hull Shares Honest Take on Playing Without Caitlin Clark
Related: New DeWanna Bonner Update Emerges After Release From Indiana Fever
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 30, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: Basketball
