“Wasted opportunity.” That’s basically how Candace Parker summed up this year’s All-Star Game. The WNBA vet wasn’t too thrilled with the on-court effort, especially after players made a powerful pregame statement wearing “Pay Us What You Owe Us” shirts. “Y’all cannot come out there with those shirts and then do that in the All-Star Game,” she said. But while that ship’s sailed, Kelsey Plum just floated a million-dollar idea that might actually make future All-Star Games worth the hype.
The All-Star Game in Indianapolis had all the elements of a viral spectacle – star power, cultural commentary, and high-scoring fun – but it also reignited a familiar debate: should the players be giving more effort in these games? It started on a serious note. As players warmed up in shirts that read “Pay Us What You Owe Us,” the message was clear: the looming CBA negotiations and ongoing push for better compensation aren’t going anywhere.
But once the game tipped off, the tone quickly shifted. Team Collier pulled ahead early and never looked back, cruising to a 151–131 win over Team Clark in a defense-optional affair. The game was kind of low-intensity in comparison to last year. The 2024 All-Star Game, where Team WNBA defeated Team USA 117-109, was still a bit competitive. However, keeping it light has become synonymous with All-Star events.
Cue Kelsey Plum.
In a recent appearance on All The Smoke, the sparks star floated a bold fix: “I was saying… uh, you know the game [should be] sponsored by Netflix. Million dollar pot.” She smiled before adding, “Actually, I went small with the million…maybe you do a $5 million pot.” Plum’s idea follows a simple truth: when there’s money on the line, the intensity changes. The Commissioner’s Cup proved exactly that. With a bonus pool of $500,000 and additional incentives in cryptocurrency, that midseason competition brought out playoff-level energy.
Jul 19, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Team Clark guard Caitlin Clark (22) and Team Collier guard Kelsey Plum (10) before the 2025 WNBA All Star Game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
Players were open about it, too. Courtney Williams flat-out admitted she was playing for the money. Why pretend otherwise? Compare that to the All-Star Game MVP bonus of $5,150, which Napheesa Collier earned after dropping an All-Star record 36 points on 13-of-16 shooting, along with nine rebounds or to the $2,575 bonus that every player picked for the WNBA All-Star Game earns.
Not everyone agrees the All-Star Game should be hypercompetitive, though. Aliyah Boston had her own take. “An All-Star Game, where we have another game in two days, I think it’s OK to just go out there and hoop and have some fun,” she said. It’s a fair point. The grueling WNBA schedule doesn’t exactly lend itself to high-effort exhibitions. And in truth, this year’s All-Star event was one of the most entertaining in years, even if Caitlin Clark was everywhere except on the floor.
It dominated timelines and sparked real conversations. As WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert handed Collier her MVP trophy, the crowd made its voice heard, chanting “Pay them!” loud enough to nearly drown out the presentation.
Still, the matchup couldn’t top last year’s viewership record.
WNBA All-Star game down from last year
Airing on ABC in prime time for the third consecutive season, the All-Star game averaged 2.2 million viewers, down from last year’s eye-popping 3.44 million, but still the second-highest viewership in the event’s history.
To put that into perspective, the 2024 edition marked a historic peak. It was the first time in 19 years that the WNBA All-Star Game crossed the 1 million viewer threshold, and just the third time in league history that it topped the million mark, previously achieved only in 2003 (1.44M) and 2005 (1.29M), both under the East vs. West format.
Last year’s game also benefited from the Caitlin Clark frenzy during her rookie season and a unique Team USA vs. WNBA All-Stars setup, creating Olympic-level buzz ahead of Paris 2024. While the 36% drop might raise eyebrows, this year’s 2.2 million viewers still far surpass the 850,000 that tuned in just two years ago in 2023.
So it’s clear the baseline has shifted. Yes, the novelty and Olympic hype weren’t there this time, but the numbers don’t lie. The fact that a “regular” All-Star format still drew over 2 million viewers shows that this league has momentum. People are tuning in, not just for a superstar or a global event, but for the product itself.
And that’s the kind of growth that lasts.
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