"I was making a joke that they were hungover" - Kelsey Plum says her Team Clark comment during All-Star weekend was intended to be a joke originally appeared on Basketball Network.

Los Angeles Sparks guard Kelsey Plum finally addressed the issue of her controversial remarks on All-Star weekend. She criticized Caitlin Clark's All-Star team for not showing up to the players' meeting, where they agreed to wear the "Pay us what you owe us" shirts.

Plum was the guest on Sue Bird's "Bird's Eye View" podcast this week, and she told the former WNBA star that what she said during the post-All-Star game press conference was intended to be a joke, but it was taken differently.

"Oh, I made a bad joke. And I should've, hindsight 20-20, because of this shirt, because of the fans, I should've known it was a way serious moment than a typical All-Star Game. Cuz I went to that press conference happy-go-lucky, cuz we won, and had a great weekend, like my family's here, it was just a great time. And so the questions came in - the CBA, this, this, and I honestly was like "Hey, Team Clark, they didn't make it to the meeting either." Just like making a joke, trying to make the room lighter. I was making a joke that they were hungover, even though our team nickname was hungover. So it was like, at least we made it."

It can be recalled that all the players in the 2025 WNBA All-Star game wore black t-shirts printed with "Pay us what you owe us" while warming up for the game. Plum, a first vice president for the WNBA players' union, was asked about the shirts during the post-game press conference.

While explaining their intention of wearing the shirts, Kelsey inserted in her reply that no member of Clark's All-Star team showed up for the early morning meeting, although all of them still ended up wearing the shirts. Plum's comments were taken negatively, because while she talked about the shirts as a "powerful moment", she still found time to criticize Clark, whose fans think she does not like after last year's All-Star game, where she picked her up full court on defense, in an exhibition game.

"Obviously, we're on the same page; we all were, the shirts, like we're all unified. And if anything, I was more discouraged cuz it felt like it took away from the moment of what we are trying to do. So yeah, it's definitely, you don't even get to respond. If you do, you seem defensive. That's why I didn't say anything. I was like "alright." So you just have to let it go, thick skin," she added.

Fox Sports talking head Colin Cowherd was one of those who slammed Plum for her remarks. According to Colin, Kelsey could have answered that question without snitching on Team Clark. He also talked about the resentment that Caitlin gets from older players like her who have seen their benefits improve since CC's arrival in the WNBA.

"Why do you take a shot at the Golden Goose Caitlin Clark? You guys were flying before she arrived on one of those airlines that made you pay for a cup of water, one of those airlines where the planes are the color of a highlighter. Now you're flying private," said Cowherd. "If you're in a band and you're staying at the Motel 6 and you add a band member and now you're at the Ritz Carlton, keep your issues to yourself. You went from Motel 6 in a sketchy part of town to the Four Seasons in the shopping district. Stop talking."

In fairness to KP, if you listen to the press conference again, she did say, "I'm trying to make the situation light" when Sabrina Ionescu told her that Team Clark's absence from the meeting did not have to be mentioned. But as she said, it is what it is, and she just has to live with it because people, especially CC fans, took it differently.