The controversy began after the July 19 All-Star Game in Indianapolis. Players wore “Pay Us What You Owe Us” shirts in a show of unity during collective bargaining talks with the league. During the postgame press conference, Plum joked that “zero members of Team Clark were very present” for the pregame meeting about the shirts.

Sparks guard Kelsey Plum said Friday on Sue Bird's podcast that her remarks after the All-Star Game about members of Team Clark not being present for the "Pay Us What You Owe Us" T-shirt meeting were "a really bad joke" about the players being hungover.

Los Angeles Sparks star Kelsey Plum said she was joking when she took a verbal shot at Caitlin Clark and her team at the All-Star Game last month, comments that drew significant pushback. “I made a really bad joke,” Plum said on Sue Bird’s “Bird’s Eye View” podcast that dropped Friday.