By looking at viewership for womens college basketball, we argue that the revenue gap between the WNBA and the NBA can be closed. 2023 WNBA free agency is here, the regular season is fast approaching, and our staff of writers is working hard to bring you everything you need to know about every team in the league. Even just a small increase in income in the WNBA revenue will lead to more equitable salaries for these players who are the best of the best. The league minimum salary is now $58,710. Jewell Loyd, G, Seattle Storm; $231,515 2. WNBA salaries: Who has the highest, league average, more One way to evaluate how well professional womens basketball players are paid is to look at how the WNBA salaries compare to the total income of the league. 4. The 68 center for the Los Angeles Sparks has been selected to the All-Star team three times. The base max salary is $190,550. Picks 9-12 will earn $66,306, while second round picks will receive $63,389 in 2022. Sherly is third on the list of the highest paid WNBA players with 99,500$ per year. If you buy something from a link on our site, Queen Ballers Club may earn a commission. So helping everyone win higher paid overseas contracts and endorsements is actually lucrative for everyone in the long run. For the first few years of the league's history, it was so unpopular that the NBA had to subsidize the operating cost of their female counterpart. We arrived at that modest figure by calculating that far more than an average overseas salary of $400,000 equals at least $1 million. There is simply no reason that womens college basketball should bring in more money than womens professional basketball. However, some still manage to make 6 figures for their incredible performances. In recent years, the popularity of the league has been increasing dramatically. Hansel Enmanuel is the highest-earning college basketball player with an NIL value of $1.5 million. This is over half of the average viewership for an average NFL game, the undisputed king of American sports from a viewership and revenue perspective. This means in the NBA, the best paid player makes about six and a half times as much as the average player. Becky Hammon, Aja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, Brittney Griner and soon Paige Bueckers are on the precipice of becoming household names, of entering the zeitgeist of sports. So she will now receive close to $100,000 to train for United States. DeWanna Bonner spent 10 seasons with the Phoenix Mercury, and in that time, she became one of the WNBA's superstars. Which added $5,150 to her earnings. WWE Wrestlers Who Served In Military | How It Impact Their Careers In Wrestling? While Jackie Young is the WNBA's highest-paid player right now, she might be forced to relinquish that title soon. As we dive into the salaries of WNBA players, however, the difference is stark. Through a sign-and-trade deal between Phoenix and Dallas (for whom she was a designated core player), point guard Diggins-Smith was able to sign a four-year supermax contract with the Mercury in February 2020. But its less clear how our women stack up against each other. Wilson has signed NIL deals with Legacy Restaurant Group, MiniJerzeys, Charlie Hustle, Rally House, and Family Promise. This is a great book detailing the history of professional Womens basketball. They are two All-Star-level talents that can turn whatever team they're on into a contender. Who is the highest-paid WNBA player in 2023? Skylar Diggins-Smith. In the WNBA world, the story on everyones mind is Brittney Griners ongoing detention is Russia. For picks 5-8, the rookie base salary drops to $69,224. Each player is making the supermax salary of $228,094. At 41 years old, Sue Bird will have been in the league for an astonishing 19 seasons and 20 years in 2022, breaking records and dazzling fans all over the world. And she deserves every bit of it. No doubt, this WNBA veteran is a superstar. t-1. But first, lets jump into the basics for this year. In February 2020, Sue Bird told Howard Megdal, money has really never been the motivator in the WNBA. In equal parts, Bird enlightens the privilege of having a spot in such an incredibly competitive league and points out that the CBAs new salary structure marks a historic turning point for the WNBA. You might find some affiliate links on our website which are part of advertisement on this website. She was drafted by Phoenix first overall in the 2004 WNBA draft. With all these ancillary ways to make money, Dianas WNBA salary is just a drop in the bucket! The total revenue for the WNBA is about $60 million while in the NBA it is about $7.6 billion. Top 12 Richest Female Basketball Players - YouTube Because the WNBA is a smaller league, the 144 players on active WNBA rosters are the best 144 womens basketball players. Due to injuries and other factors, Sue hasnt played overseas since 2014. The average NBA player makes about 60x as much as the average WNBA player. Earning a spot on Team USA, shes reaped another $100,000 during the WNBA off-season. Please logout and login again. In 2022, Candace will make $195,000 from her WNBA contract. Heres everything you need to know about salaries in the WNBA (all numbers via Spotrac): In terms of base salaries, three athletes are tied for the highest-paid player in the WNBA: Seattle Storm stars Jewell Loyd and Breanna Stewart and Phoenix Mercury icon Diana Taurasi. In 2021, the star signed a multiyear shoe deal with Puma that guarantees her the creation and release of her own signature sneaker. Because after the NBAs Kyrie Irving saw her wearing his shoes, he told Nike, Okay, yeah, give her whatever she wants. So, well factor in another $2,000,000 into her income for good measure! The women's basketball players who make the most money are typically the best players in the game. The highest-paid NBA players by season has recently eclipsed $40 million.Larry Bird was the first player to earn $5 million or more with a salary of $7,070,000 in the 1991-92 season. Perhaps more importantly, the WNBA now has bona fide superstars to push its popularity. And shes got her own media company Togethxr along with three other star athletes. WNBA Salary Rankings | Spotrac - Sports Contracts, Salaries, Caps Brandon Figueroa vs Mark Magsayo Purse Payouts | How Much Both Fighters Will Earn from PPV Fight? To receive email updates when new articles are posted, use the subscription form below! In 2021, Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird, Elena Delle Donne, Brittney Griner, Skylar Diggins-Smith, DeWanna Bonner, and Liz Cambage were the highest paid WBNA players. Diggins was drafted third overall by the Tulsa Shock in the 2013 WNBA draft. NBA players get paid more because their league makes more money, full stop. Liz medically opted out of the 2020 WNBA season due to the coronavirus pandemic, so she didnt earn any bonus or award money. Top 10 Highest Paid WNBA Players | Contract Salary & Net Worth And thus still earned her $1.5 million salary! In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, Delle Donne, a longtime Lyme disease patient, elected to sit out the 2020 season due to her susceptibility to the virus. According to Spotrac, Jewell Loyd and Arike Ogunbowale are currently set to be the highest-paid WNBA players in the 2023 season, with each of them earning $234,936. Brittney signed a lucrative endorsement deal with Nike seven years ago in her rookie year. According to 201011 NBA season game performance, the league's best players were not its highest-paid players. Bates has 501,000 followers across all social media. Duke Blue Devils vs UNC Tar Heels College Basketball Rivalry. Previously, she played for Shanghai Baoshun Dahua in Chinas WCBA since the 2016-17 season. A multi-year deal means big bucks and a big bet, so lets add in another $1 million for her sponsorship. Brittney is a powerhouse when it comes to overseas play and shes compensated pretty well for it. And she was the WNBA Finals MVP (which probably doesnt get the $15,450 the season MVP gets). And I take my off-season and use it to explore other opportunitieslike my basketball camps. And Jay Zs company has boded well for Skylar. The LA Sparks, who lost superstars Parker and Gray in the offseason, will pay Kristi Toliver andWNBPA President Nneka Ogwumike max salaries of $190,550 each this year. As a five star recruit Bailey chose UCLA over a multitude of other schools. Who is the highest-paid WNBA player in 2023? The Highest Paid WNBA Players - Gazette Review Marta Vieira da Silva is undoubtedly the highest paid basketball player in the WNBA. The two-time champion is leaving the Seattle Storm after six seasons to play for the New York Liberty. Plus Skylars additional endorsements and her work as a Phoenix Suns broadcasts as analyst, altogether which weve guess-timated to be near $500,000. And we added in prior overseas play. The highest paid players in the WNBA in 2022 are those with super-maximum contracts. She signed a two year $463,030 contract last offseason, giving her an annual salary of $231,515. DeWanna Bonner comes fourth at $227,900. often in parts of the world that many Americans would not want to visit themselves. Also in the top 10 richest contracts in WNBA history are Storm legend Sue Bird and Mercury star Brittney Griner. Full list of highest paid players. Image credit: (Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images). And add that to her bank. This alone should be enough to argue for higher average WNBA salaries than the status quo, but we have two more points still to convince you further. Salaries will continue to rise in the years to come, as the WNBA's salary cap will increase by three percent annually. Borderline unstoppable in this years playoffs, Gray helped the Aces win their first WNBA title en route to her first WNBA Finals MVP. Seven players from five different teams will earn the WNBA supermax salary of. And has never come off the bench! Three franchises the Dallas Wings, Los Angeles Sparks, and Las Vegas Aces do not have a single player taking home $200,000 or more this season. She has 1 million followers on Instagram, 465,000 on TikTok, and 77,000 on Twitter.She is expected to be a top pick in the WNBA Draft, whenever she declares. WNBA Salary Rankings | Spotrac The professional game is of an indisputably higher quality than the college game. List of highest paid Major League Baseball players, "Kobe Bryant to Become NBA's Second Ever $30-Million Player", "The NBA's 25 highest-paid players for the 2016-17 season", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Highest-paid_NBA_players_by_season&oldid=1142898961, National Basketball Association statistical leaders, Employee compensation in the United States, Short description with empty Wikidata description, Wikipedia pages semi-protected against vandalism, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 4 March 2023, at 22:55. At the age of 32, Elena is still giving brilliant performance and winning games for her team. [1] LeBron James became the third in the 201617 season. Winner gets $1 to break the tie. See the highest and lowest player salaries in the NBA on ESPN.com. Former Mercury forward DeWanna Bonner was cored by the Mercury the league maximum of four times, so her pursuit of a new team was inevitable. Boxers Who Died In The Ring | How Their Death Impact the Sports? Who are the highest-paid NBA players? Cavinder has endorsement deals with Under Armour, Raising Canes, Intuit TurboTax, and Victoria's Secret PINK. NBA Player Salaries - National Basketball Association - ESPN Basketball icon, WNBA salaries: Who has the highest, league average, more. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. The Ace's core remains young and hungry after their first taste of winning, but can they do it again next season? Candaces bread and butter come from her lucrative endorsement deals, which reportedly net her a whopping $3 million dollars! Timme is a two-time Second-Team All-American, a two-time First-Team All-WCC selection, and the 2022 WCC Player of the Year. Well give a quick synopsis of the economic perspective here. Now onto the highest paid WNBA players of all time. And Diana and Sue Bird were instrumental in seeing to it that members of Team USA were paid decent wages for their training. At the end of the day, salaries have to be related to revenue. Top 10 Highest Paid College Basketball Players The perpetually rebuilding New York Liberty traded for the three-time champ and 2019 DefensivePlayer of the Year Natasha Howard, whom they will reward with $221,000 this year; the Libs also scored 2020 Wubble breakthrough star Betnijah Laney in free agency, and she, in turn, will take home a max salary of $190,550. Here's the list of the top 25 highest paid players in the WNBA in 2022: Breanna Stewart: Seattle Storm - $228,094 Diana Taurasi: Phoenix Mercury - $228,094 Jewell Loyd: Seattle Storm - $228,094 Brittney Griner: Phoenix Mercury - $227,900 DeWanna Bonner: Connecticut Sun - $227,900 Elena Delle Donne: Washington Mystics - $227,900 Phoenix Mercury teammates Skylar Diggins-Smith and Brittany Griner are not far behind on the richest woman basketball players list. Breanna Stewart, F, Seattle Storm; $228,094 3. And the viewership is increasing rapidly. Check out all the highest paid WNBA players below, and come back when new WNBA starssign newcontracts to see how their salaries stack up! By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider [The WNBA] doesnt pay my bills playing here doesnt pay my bills We make more money overseas. She played college basketball at Notre Dame. Eight players, including Davis, have salaries less than $10,000. A Quick History of WNBA Profitability. Candace also has a lucrative contract as an NBA analyst for Turner Sports. Bueckers has endorsement deals with Crocs, Nerf, Bose, Gatorade, and StockX. In this list we examine the top 10 highest paid college basketball players as of February 2023. WNBA stars Diana Taurasi, Breanna Stewart, andJewell Loyd earn the most money in the WNBA, puttingthemamongthe highest paid athletesof all time. Now, because the average WNBA player makes 56 times as much as NBA players, the pay gap becomes clearer. Three players, two of whom suit up for the same WNBA team, will earn a league-high $228,094 on supermax salaries for the upcoming season. Paige Bueckers is one of the highest earning college basketball players, with an NIL value of $822,000.Bueckers, a junior, is a star guard at the University of Connecticut. He has deals with Dollar Shave Club, Walkers Furniture, Goli Nutrition, and Preediction. And being named to the 2020 All-WNBA Second Team adds another merit bonus to her cap. Earning a second WNBA title and a second WNBA Finals MVP award. She is the tallest and highest paid WNBA player. The Phoenix Mercury point guard also earned the title of having the most All-WNBA First Team honors a total of 10! And throughout her enviable career, shes been named a WNBA All-Star four times. However, in recent years the popularity of the WNBA is skyrocketing. (66 kg) Skylar Diggins-Smith is a WNBA standout who receives a salary of $221,450, making her one of the four highest-paid WNBA players in the league. Out of those ten players chosen that year, Kobe Bryant was the only player that was also among the game's ten highest-paid during the 201011 NBA season.[6]. The Washington Mystics have promised her full salary despite the WNBA not awarding her a medical exemption for the season. Amari Bailey is one of the highest earning college basketball players, with an NIL value of $520,000.Bailey was a top prospect in the 2022 class. Over in Minnesota, Kayla McBride and Aerial Powersshocking Lynx acquisitions in a whirlwind period of free agencywill each receive max salaries of $190,550, out-earning new teammate and former MVP Sylvia Fowles ($117,894). Phoenix Mercuryteammates Skylar Diggins-Smithand Brittany Grinerarenot far behind on therichest woman basketballplayers list. The highest-paid WNBA player makes 22.8 percent of what Hammon does. She signed a two year $463,030 contract last offseason, giving her an annual salary of $231,515. Who is the richest WNBA player? - Celebrity.fm - #1 Official Stars To me, this says that viewers are interested in watching womens sports. Third rounders and undrafted rookies will receive . Stewart is currently having an expensive contract deal with Seattle Storm. Loyd was the first overall pick in 2015 after an illustrious career at Notre Dame, going to two national championship games. Skylar Diggins-Smith - $221,450. With the 2021 WNBA season tipping off Friday, we took a look at the league's highest-paid players. According to Her Hoop Stats, heres a breakdown of how much rookies drafted in 2022 made this season: According to Spotrac, Rhyne Howard, NaLyssa Smith, Shakira Austin and Emily Engstler, the top four picks in 2022, all have salaries of $72,141. So that she wouldnt get injured and not be able to play for UMMC. Who are therichest womenbasketball players? Who is the lowest-paid player in the WNBA? The WNBA may be a league on the rise, but its players pay is low. Double trouble. Emoni Bates is one of the highest earning college basketball players, with an NIL value of $657,000.Bates is a 610 small forward and was the fifth best player in the recruiting class of 2021.Bates originally committed to Michigan State, then rescinded his commitment to attend Memphis. Skylar Diggins . She is famous for her multiple abilities and incredible guarding at the point region. This is not dissimilar to the history of the NBA, just many years later. Trayce Jackson-Davis is a senior forward for the Indiana Hoosiers, who has an NIL value of $886,000.He was a highly touted prospect out of high school, being named to the McDonalds All-American Team. However, this is important knowledge, especially amongst players. DeWanna Bonner, Elena Delle Donne and Skylar Diggins-Smith aren't far behind. Clocking in roughly $228,094 for the year, Loyd is currently in the midst of bringing the Storm back to the WNBA mountaintop. That concerted effort bared its fruit, garnering each member of the team $100,000. Storm F Breanna Stewart: $228,094 (WNBA max salary) Contract: 1 year, $228,094 Average annual value: $228,094 But we can assume its a good amount. Thus, looking at average salaries biases the argument in favor of the men! But award money calculations are based off of 2020 results. Shes a 7-time blocks leader, and has won a championship with her team, the Phoenix Mercury. Her contract salary from the club is $228,094. Rookie Road may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Speaking engagements net current WNBA players anywhere between $10,000 $50,000, plus Liz is a DJ! Also, there was no 2020 All-Star game, which wouldve netted players chosen a bonus of $2,575. There is a significant appetite for professional womens sports. Up next, check out the rest of our WNBA salary series, with the lowest paid WNBA players. Richest Female Basketball Players and Their Net WorthRichest Female WNBA PlayersCandace Parker Sue Bird Breanna Stewart Lisa LeslieElena Delle Donne Kelsey P. Highest-paid WNBA Players of 2022 by Total Salary Dollar figures via Spotrac based on a 2022 salary cap of $1,379,170. We have three points and reasons why we think the average WNBA salary and the league revenue as a whole is set to explode. In 2022, shell make $227,900 from her Phoenix Mercury contract. While we have cited some numbers above that indicate that players in the W are underpaid even relative to current revenue, the point is that the leagues revenue is not where it should be. 2021 WNBA Finals MVP Kahleah Copper sits at the top of the Sky's salary cap, earning $200,000 annually. Hopefully Elena Delle Donne can return to 100% in the near future. The 24-year-old guard made her first All-Star team last year after averaging 15.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.9 assists. How Much Does A College Basketball Coach Make? In addition to Roc Nation, Skylar also has deals with Sprint and Nike. Who is the highest paid WNBA player? Jewell Loyd leads top 10 list She, along with 7 other WNBA players, also has a Glossier deal. Or learn how salary impacts WNBA free agency. Not only did she win regular season MVP and Defensive Player of the Year, but her team won the Commissioners Cup and the WNBA Finals. . Plum had a spectacular regular season that even saw her claim the all-star game MVP this year. Why Do College Basketball Teams Cut Down The Net? When asked if overseas money was life-changing by60 Minutes,Sue Birdsaid it was for her. And approximate what some of them might have made during a peak playing year. Last season Loyd averaged 17.9 points, 3.8 assists, and 1.4 steals, earning her All-WNBA First team honors. From my perspective, the gender pay gap in basketball is attributable to the WNBA being a new league and not achieving the viewership it is capable of. Jackie Young of the Aces has an average annual salary of $252,450 and is currently the WNBA's highest-paid player in 2023. After spending the past two years in her hometown of Chicago, the two-time MVP decided to sign with the reigning champs in Las Vegas. She recently starred in some CarMax commercials. Flau'jae Johnson is one of the highest earning college basketball players, with an NIL value of $612,000.Johnson is a freshman standout, combo-guard, at Louisiana State University. AP Photo/Ashley Landis Las Vegas Aces A'ja Wilson and Chelsea Gray ($196,267) A'ja Wilson and Chelsea Gray. The 27-year-old has the 151st-ranked salary in the league at $1,607. New Mexico State Basketball Team Bio And Facts, Saint Peters Basketball Team Bio And Facts, Syracuse Orange vs Duke Blue Devils Basketball Rivalry, Syracuse Orange vs Georgetown Hoyas College Basketball Rivalry, Top 10 Best Kentucky College Basketball Players, Top 10 Best North Carolina Basketball Players, Top 10 College Basketball Rivalries of All Time, Top 10 Highest Paid College Basketball Coaches, Top 10 Highest Paid College Basketball Players, Top 6 Best Men's College Basketball Coaches of All Time, Top 6 Best Men's College Basketball Programs of All Time, Top 6 Best Women's College Basketball Coaches of All Time, Top 6 Best Women's College Basketball Teams of All Time. Once that happens, WNBA salaries will reach the place where they should be for the entertainment value they are capable of providing. As we dive into the salaries of WNBA players, however, the difference is stark. Basketball is also no exception and women players receive much low worthy contracts as compared to men. Im ready to have next summer off and focus on getting a European contract where [its] 10 seasons here worth the pay. Who is the Highest Paid WNBA Player? - ONE37pm Which Colleges Have Had The Most NBA Players? Knocked out in the second round of the playoffs, the Phoenix Mercury, Skylars current team, earned her a team bonus of $1,803. 1. She started playing in China in her rookie season. Next on the list of the highest paid WNBA player in the world is DeWanna Bonner. Sue has been with Nike since 2003. Surprise! 1-4 in the 2022 WNBA Draft, the base salary is expected to be $72,141 in year one. Of course, athletes dont always see all their endorsement earnings in a single year, but weve included the guesstimated total amount for simplification. The average salary for a professional basketball player (NBA) is about 5.15 Million per year, MLB (baseball) 3.2 Million yearly, NHL (Hockey) 2.4 Million, NFL (Football) 1.9 Million yearly. UFC 285 Fighters Salaries | Jones vs Gane Purse Payouts | How Much Fighters Earn from PPV Money Bonuses? Elena Delle Donne is making around $224,870 this year from contract salaries. If not for the remarkably low average WNBA salary, the Ws stars would not be compelled to play in overseas leagues in the offseason.