The WNBA captured the world’s attention over the weekend. During the All-Star warmups, players like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and Paige Bueckers raised their voices wearing shirts that read: “Pay Us What You Owe Us.” This act drew criticism, but ESPN commentator Richard Jefferson didn’t stay silent.
The former NBA player fired back on Instagram at content creator Joey Vantes, who strongly criticized the WNBA players’ protest. Vantes said: “If I opened a restaurant that lost money every year for almost three decades, should I walk into the investor meeting and say, ‘Hey, give me my check?’ NO!!”
And that wasn’t all. According to Vantes, the players should be ‘crawling on their knees,’ thanking the league for “keeping the lights on.” He clarified that he supports women’s sports—but not the behavior of these professional basketball players.
NEWS: Richard Jefferson has an agreement in place with ESPN and is expected to remain on The NBA Finals, while Doris Burke’s spot is still in question, The Athletic has learned.https://t.co/nD3oMFYOPq
— Andrew Marchand (@AndrewMarchand) July 21, 2025
Did things get heated?
According to EssentiallySports, while many people agreed with Vantes, Richard Jefferson strongly disagreed and clapped back:
“You said a lot but brought very little substance. What are they asking for? What are the current percentages? Why did the WNBA expand? Have you seen the valuation of the Valkyries?”
Jefferson posted this on his Instagram story, where he added: “Wanna try again with actual information—not analogies from episode 2, season 4 of Shark Tank, 2009? I’ll wait.”
Vantes immediately responded by reposting the story and writing: “YOU OF ALL PEOPLE KNOW THE TRUTH. GTFOH, BRUDDA.”
This debate may continue, depending on how things unfold in the WNBA.
