WASHINGTON (July 24, 2025) – At a recent WNBA All-Star Game, the league’s top players took the court wearing black T-shirts emblazoned with a clear message: “Pay Us What You Owe Us.” That action was part of a collective bargaining push by the players and their union to negotiate for higher salaries and better benefits, according to news accounts.
According to Across the Timeline, the WNBA’s average game attendance is the highest it’s ever been. The league is preparing to expand into new markets, adding teams in Portland, Toronto, Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia. Despite that, MarketWatch reports that WNBA players receive 9.3% of the league’s overall revenue, which is a fifth of the share players in most other professional leagues receive.
Meredith Geisler, assistant professor at the George Washington University School of Business, spent over three decades helping professional athletes craft their public image, including WNBA stars Tamika Catchings, Chamique Holdsclaw, and Alana Beard. As a longtime communications strategist, she’s seen how athlete activism has evolved from behind-the-scenes frustrations to coordinated, on-camera moments that spark national conversation.
Geisler can speak to how this messaging aligns with broader trends in athlete empowerment, the business and reputational risks leagues face when players publicly challenge the status quo, and why women's sports have reached a tipping point in visibility and influence.
If you would like to schedule an interview with Professor Geisler, please contact Claire Sabin at claire [dot] sabin
gwu [dot] edu (claire[dot]sabin[at]gwu[dot]edu).
-GW-