Los Angeles Sparks guard Kelsey Plum says she wishes she could take back the joke that became one of the biggest talking points from last month’s WNBA All-Star Game.
Speaking with former WNBA star Sue Bird on the “Bird’s Eye View” podcast, Plum called her postgame remarks about Team Caitlin Clark missing a players’ meeting before the showcase in Indianapolis “a really bad joke.”
The WNBA All-Star Moment
On July 19, All-Stars took the floor in warmups emblazoned with the message “Pay Us What You Owe Us” — a coordinated statement from the players’ union as collective bargaining negotiations with the league intensify.
Plum, a member of Napheesa Collier’s winning squad, quipped in a press conference that “zero members of Team Clark were very present” for the pregame meeting.
Sitting beside Sabrina Ionescu, who laughed and responded, “That really needed to be mentioned,” Plum leaned further into the sarcasm: “I’m trying to make the situation light, OK?”
Instead, the comments lit up social media. Fans interpreted the “tattletale” remark as a swipe at Clark and her team, shifting the focus from solidarity around the shirts to perceived friction among All-Stars.
Kelsey Plum Clarifies Her Comment
On Bird’s podcast, Plum said she underestimated the weight of the moment.
“I should have known it was a way more serious moment than a typical All-Star Game,” Plum said. “Because I went into that press conference very, like, happy-go-lucky we won, you know?”
She explained that her team’s joking nickname was “Hungover,” and her comments were meant to rib her own group for showing up despite it.
“Obviously, we’re all on the same page. We all wore the shirts. Like, we’re all unified,” Plum said. “And I think, if anything, I was just more discouraged because I felt like it took away from the moment of what we were trying to do.”
Bird pointed out that players’ words are often “twisted” once amplified online. Plum agreed, saying responding only makes players appear defensive.
“You just have to let it go,” Plum said.
Why It Matters
The shirts underscored the WNBPA’s push for better pay and benefits in the upcoming collective bargaining talks. Any perception of disunity — even in jest — risked undermining that message.
Plum, a veteran voice and former All-Star MVP, acknowledged that lesson. Clark’s star power further amplified the reaction, with her absence from the game due to injury already drawing attention.
In the end, Plum says the intent was harmless, but the timing and optics risked greater implications.
