Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) is a professional basketball league for women in the US. It was established as a counterpart of the men’s basketball team (National Basketball Association) on April 24, 1996. Over time, the WNBA expanded, and as of 2025, 13 teams will be a part of WNBA.
The WNBA has played a vital role in bringing women players and athletes into the spotlight and has strengthened their ground on the court. It has a massive following with people across the world waiting for leagues. However, the media attention, the fan following and anticipation the NBA receives, the WNBA fails to receive. Besides, the WNBA faces a salary gap and is behind the NBA by millions.
This comparison blog will focus on the WNBA salary structure, the WNBA Salary average the players are receiving, and the WNBA Salary vs NBA salary.
Let’s understand the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) Salary Structure.
According to Salary Slip, For players presently under contract, a team’s total salary includes the basic pay, expected time off bonuses, and any trade bonuses that have been used. It also covers any guaranteed or buyout funds from cut players, money owing to retired players, cap holds for squads with less than ten players, and outstanding qualifying offers and offer papers. However, team with a hardship exemption may exceed the cap, and replacement contracts made under the hardship exception count against the salary cap.
What’s the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) Salary Average in 2024?
The WNBA players earn a salary range of around $1,224,630 as the minimum and $1,463,200 as the cap. The WNBA salary average for 2024 is $119,000, with the highest-paid players earning around $252,000 annually.
In 2022, the average WMBA salary was $102,751, and in 2023, the WNBA salary average raised to $113,295. Currently, 21 players are making more than $200,000 per season.
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How Much WNBA Rookies Are Earning?
Most women remain in college for their 5th year due to NIL partnerships that make them more than what they could be earning as a team player.
Rookie salary is not fixed, guaranteed, or protected by the league’s CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement). As per this agreement, rookie players are paid only for the portion of the season they are on the roster. Also, the base pay of each player varies, depending on the draft and pick. The lengths of their contracts are strictly non-negotiable.
The Women’s National Basketball Association drafts are divided into 3 rounds, with 12 players in each round. All 36 draft picks can sign a 4-year contract with a team option. The difference in salary lies in the numbers. For instance, the top four picks of the first round get the same amount. The next four picks receive slightly lesser salaries, and the last four receive even more lesser.
As per Spotrac, the 2025 Rookie scale for first-round picks is $348,198 (total value). For the first season, the salary of a first-round pick rookie is $78,831, with a 2% increase in the next season leading to $80,408.
Here’s what the salary of the Rookie players in the WNBA looks like:
| Round | Picks | Years | Total value |
| 1 | 1-4 | 4 | $348,198 |
| 1 | 5-8 | 4 | $334,115 |
| 1 | 9-12 | 4 | $320,040 |
| 2 | 13-24 | 4 | $305,957 |
| 3 | 25-36 | 4 | $285,136 |
Top 10 Highest-Paid WNBA Players in 2024
The table below shows the top 10 highest-paid WNBA players in 2024.
| Player | Position | Team | Annual salary |
| Jackie Young | G | Las Vegas Aces | $252,450 |
| Jewell Loyd | G | Seattle Storm | $245,508 |
| Kahleah Copper | G | Phoenix Mercury | $245,059 |
| Arike Ogunbowale | G | Dallas Wings | $241,984 |
| Diana Taurasi | G | Phoenix Mercury | $234,936 |
| Natasha Howard | F | Dallas Wings | $224,675 |
| Erica Wheeler | G | Indiana Fever | $222,154 |
| Brionna Jones | C | Connecticut Sun | $212,000 |
| Skylar Diggins-Smith | G | Seattle Storm | $211,343 |
| Alyssa Thomas | F | Connecticut Sun | $209,000 |
WNBA Salary vs NBA Salary Comparison
When it comes down to Women’s National Basketball Association salary compared to NBA, both teams differ greatly. While WNBA players are making $119,000 on average per season, the NBA average salary is roughly $10 million. The highest-earning player in the WNBA is Jackie Young, playing for the Las Vegas Aces with a salary of $252,450. However, the highest-earning player in the NBA is Stephen Curry, playing for the Golden State Warriors with a salary of $55,761,216.
For the rookies in the WNBA, Caitlin Clark is getting the highest with $11.1 million, while Zaccharie Risacher of the Atlanta Hawks is earning $25.8 million as the highest-earning NBA rookie.
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Understanding the Salary Gap- Reasons
This is also because of the major difference in revenue generated by both leagues. While NBA players are earning millions, the WNBA players are struggling hard to match them. Even the lowest-earning rookie in the NBA is getting $1,157,153. On the other hand, the rookies of the WNBA are often locked into contracts of around $60,000.
There are several reasons behind this pay gap including revenue and ticket sales.
- Revenue: One of the biggest reasons behind the salary gap is revenue generation. While the WNBA generated around $180-$200 million in 2023, the estimated revenue generated by the NBA is $10 billion. WNBA players don’t get the same revenue share as NBA players, leading to the salary difference. WNBA players get 50% of the revenue share after the league’s target revenue is earned. However, NBA players receive 50% of all revenue.
- Ticket Sales: WNBA Ticket sales surged leaguewide this season and it saw a 93% increase in 2024 compared to 2023. However, still, there is a major difference between the ticket sales of the WNBA and the NBA.
- League Maturity: The NBA was established in 1946, while the WNBA was founded in 1996. Due to this maturity, the NBA gets more dealerships and sponsorships.
- Visibility and Media Coverage: Attendance at the NBA is far more than the attendance at the WNBA. Almost 18,000 attended live NBA matches, but only around 9,000 people attended WNBA live matches. The lack of proper media coverage of the WNBA also leads to the difference in revenue generation and individual earnings.
Fast facts about WNBA
- Highest WNBA salary: The highest WNBA salary as per the latest records can go up to $252,450.
- Additional income: Various WNBA players play overseas during the off-season and do endorsements and deals for their additional income.
- Salary Cap: The WNBA salary cap in 2024 is $1,463,200.
- Measures for Equity: The 2020 WNBA Collective Bargaining Agreement highlighted the salary gap and contract terms and introduced significant improvements in player salary and welfare.
- Minimum salary: The minimum salary in the WNBA is $64,154, given to the rookie players.
- Media rights impact: The media attention to the WNBA can lead to more deals and sponsorships leading to higher salaries.
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Conclusion
The WNBA players are making their name in the world of sports and a few players like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese are giving tough competition and are among the top women athletes in the world. However, the WNBA salary compared to NBA players in US is lesser. This is because of the difference in revenue generated, media attention and visibility, deals and sponsorships, and more. The recent trends in WNBA salaries have shown significant growth, with players getting higher salaries than before. Apart from this, the CBA has introduced remarkable improvements in players’ salaries and welfare.
FAQs
1) What is the highest WNBA salary in 2024?
The highest NBA salary in 2024 is $252,450.
2) What is the lowest WNBA salary in 2024?
The lowest salary in WMBA in 2024 is $64,154, given to rookie players.
3) What is average WNBA salary?
The average WNBA salary for 2024 is $119,000.
4) What is Caitlin Clark NBA salary?
Caitlin Clark earns a base salary of $76,535 in the first season of her four-year contract with the WNBA’s Indiana Fever. Including this, she is making $11.1 million per year due to her endorsements, NIL deals, bonuses, and more.
5) What is the WNBA salary Cap 2025?
The salary cap for WNBA 2025 is $1,507,100.
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