By LONNIE KING | © 2025 Big Daddy’s Texas Sports
I know what some of you are already thinking.
“This is a Texas sports blog. Why are you writing about the WNBA?”
I suppose that’s a fair question, although I equate it to, “Shut up and dribble,” a little bit.
But here’s why: because when players make a unified statement demanding respect—and the reaction is a tidal wave of hate—you’re no longer just talking about sports. You’re talking about a culture that can’t stand to see confident women, especially Black women, speaking up.
Most recently, the venom seemed to escalate when WNBA players across the league started warming up in t-shirts that said, “Pay Us What You Owe Us,” as the league and players’ union begin discussions around a new collective bargaining agreement.
It wasn’t just a catchy slogan. It was a call for fairness. A bold, unapologetic challenge to a system where women—despite surging ratings, sold-out arenas, and record merchandise sales—are still getting crumbs compared to the men.
And the predictable backlash came fast and ugly.
Social media blew up with the same tired takes:
“Why should they get paid more when the league loses money?”
“They should be grateful they’re even getting paid at all.”
But if you scratch beneath the surface, you’ll see what’s really fueling the outrage: misogyny, racism, and a deep discomfort with women—especially women of color—who refuse to stay in their “place.”
The Reality Behind the Hate
If you’ve followed any sports feeds, especially the kind that love to punch down from behind a Twitter handle, you’ve probably seen the endless attacks on WNBA players, even prior to this latest outburst.
It kicked into another gear with the emergence of Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, but the venom isn’t just about who’s popular or who’s “good for the game.”
As an aside, I’ve never quite understood how everyday common people always seem to take the side of billionaire owners when these types of labor negotiations come up in sports. But, I think something more than the usual antagonism toward unions is fueling this.
There’s a pattern here—and the statistical data backs it up.
Players of color, especially Black women like Reese and her Chicago Sky teammate Chennedy Carter, are catching the worst of it. Online harassment. Death threats. Racial slurs. Fans in the arena yelling things that would get them arrested anywhere else.
The league itself had to step in after reports of racial taunts surfaced following games featuring the Fever and Sky.
Meanwhile, when white players display the same intensity or showmanship, it’s called passion. Leadership. Swagger.
But when Black players do it? Suddenly, it’s “classless.” “Thuggish.” Or the lazy catch-all: “bad for the game.”
There’s a term for that: misogynoir—a special blend of racism and misogyny directed specifically at Black women. And it’s running wild in the way people talk about WNBA players right now.
A League That Knows What’s Up
Even WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert has had to address this, apologizing publicly for how the discourse around players like Clark and Reese has exposed some of the ugliest biases in our society. And the league is now taking steps to shield players from online harassment.
But let’s not pretend this is just an internet problem. This is cultural. This is systemic. And this is happening because they’re women— and because they’re women of color.
The Tired, Lazy Arguments
I keep hearing the tired arguments:
“They don’t deserve more money.”
“The league is losing money.”
“Nobody watches.”
None of that holds water anymore. And if you’re still making that argument, you’re probably just a lazy, entitled white man.
The WNBA just set all-time records for attendance, ticket sales, and merchandise. Revenue is approaching $200 million a year, and a new TV deal will soon triple the money coming in.
Teams like the Dallas Wings—our Texas connection—are playing in front of packed houses and getting more media attention than ever.
And yet? The players only get about 9% of the league’s revenue, compared to about 50% in the NBA.
And they’re still getting painted as greedy, ungrateful, or worse.
“But the League Is Losing Money!”
I know that a common counterargument is going to be: “But, the WNBA is losing money and the players should make sacrifices for the good of the league!”
Tell me how you like that rationale when your boss comes to you and tells you there’s no raise coming, or you’ll have to take a pay cut because the company is bleeding money.
Especially if you know that 90% of the money that comes into the company is spent on something other than employee salaries.
Your natural reaction would be, “Find other places to cut corners.”
That’s exactly what is happening in the WNBA right now. The league may very well be spending more money than it’s bringing in but, in many cases, the losses are calculated investments that will eventually result in a more profitable league.
You gotta spend money to make money, fellas. Right? Or maybe that’s only applicable in a ‘man’s world’.
Why I’m Speaking Up
I’ve spent my life around sports. I’ve called games, covered teams, and watched Texas athletes from the Friday night lights to the pro stage. And one thing I know: if this was happening to a male athlete—especially one from Texas—we wouldn’t stay quiet.
So why would I stay quiet now?
Because it’s women? Because it’s Black women?
I’m not the Great Crusader, but, NOPE…not gonna tolerate it here.
Texas may only have the Dallas Wings in the WNBA, but the issue is bigger than any one team or city. It’s about what kind of sports culture we’re building—and what kind of people we’re becoming.
And it’s funny, isn’t it? Some of the same folks trashing WNBA players today were the first to proudly shout, “Don’t hate the player, hate the game.”
That phrase was a badge of honor in sports culture for years. But I guess the rules change when the player you’re hating happens to be a woman.
Especially a Black woman.
If you love sports for the competition, the skill, the fire—then love it when women bring that same edge. Respect it. And if you can’t do that, at least have the decency to get out of the way…and SHUT THE F$%^ UP!
Because this league isn’t going away—and neither are these women.
Pay them what you owe them.
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