The WNBA is bringing in bigger bucks after the league announced earlier this year it signed a $2.2 billion media contract, and players with the Dallas Wings want their pay to reflect that.
Members of the AFL-CIO in Tarrant County gathered outside the WNBA team's final game of the season in Arlington to rally support for the players in contract negotiations.
They were joined by State Rep. Chris Turner (D–Grand Prairie) and a handful of fans outside the team's home at College Park Center on UTA's campus as the team got warmed up inside.
As collective bargaining between players and the league nears its Oct. 31 deadline, Tarrant County Central Labor Council President Tevita Uhatafe said it's important for Wings fans to show support for their team.
"These players are making millions and millions of dollars for this league," he said. "Everybody recognizes it, but nobody wants to say that they should be compensated for it except for people who advocate for their labor."
Contract negotiations between the league and its players got news attention in July when WNBA players, including Dallas Wings rookie guard Paige Bueckers, wore union shirts at the All-Star Game.
The shirts urged the league to "Pay Us What You Owe Us," calling on the league to increase what it pays the players in the new contract.
Uhatafe said that's in reference to the disparity between the NBA and WNBA. He said the AFL-CIO was there in part to fight for WNBA players to get an equal share of the money the league brings in when compared with the NBA.
The league previously told Front Office Sports that it is working to reach an agreement.
"We have been clear with the WNBPA but so there is no doubt—our number one priority is to get a new collective bargaining agreement completed that addresses the players' priorities while also supporting the long-term growth and success of the league and teams," the league told Front Office Sports in a statement.
Turner, who represents Grand Prairie and parts of Arlington, said the increase in the popularity of women's basketball is a great thing. It's also good the league is earning more money from that popularity.
But that increased income needs to be passed along to the players, he said.
"The players are the ones who are responsible for that growth," Turner told KERA ahead of the game. "People are coming out to see the players and people are turning in TV to watch the players, so the players need to be able to share in the success of what's happened in this league."
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