This article was originally published on October 6, 2023, and then updated on June 8, 2024 to reflect the latest WNBA salary data.
There’s been much talk about WNBA salaries, particularly recently as this year’s rookie class brings so many new fans to the league. WNBA players are the driving force in building the WNBA into the US’s longest-running professional women’s sports league. But, there are significant differences in their pay compared to their NBA counterparts.
So, how much do WNBA players make?
Here are the key takeaways:
- The 2024 WNBA average base salary is $130,069.
- In 2024, the most that WNBA players can make in base salary is $241,984. This supermax contract salary jumps to $249,244 in 2025.
- WNBA players cannot make less than $64,154 in base salary in 2024. This salary minimum will increase to $66,079 in 2025.
But, don’t take off just yet! Stay with me as I break down even more about WNBA salaries.
I’ll discuss the average WNBA salary, unveil the highest and lowest-paid players this season, give a breakdown of total WNBA salaries by team, and explain how WNBA base salaries compare to what players can pull in from overseas competition.
Understanding WNBA Player Salaries
Before diving into the dollar details, it’s important to understand that the WNBA’s 12 teams don’t get to pay players whatever they want.
There is a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between the WNBA and the WNBA Players Association that sets the league’s salary structure. The two reached an eight-year CBA in 2020, which lays out an agreed-upon pay structure for 2020 through 2027.
Under that CBA, every player in the league earns a base salary somewhere between the league minimum and supermaximum.
In 2024, the CBA sets WNBA player base salaries between $64,154 and $241,984.
Where each player lands in that base salary range depends on two things:
- Their years of league experience, and
- Their value to their respective team
Of course, there are some caveats. For example, two-time league MVP A’ja Wilson is certainly worth the Supermax contract, but has agreed to a lower base salary with the Las Vegas Aces to allow the team to afford other top players.
These base salaries will continue to grow every year under the CBA, which is good news for current players and those arriving in the league in the coming years. The league minimums and maximums both increase every year through 2027.
Other Revenue Opportunities for Players
Under the CBA, players also have the opportunity for additional league compensation. Opportunities include:
- Off-season and team marketing agreements
- A 50-50 incremental revenue share
- Performance awards (WNBA MVP and Rookie of the Year), and the
- Commissioner’s Cup (players that make it to the finals earn money)
WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert has said players can make $650,000 from these bonuses on top of their base salary.
How Much Do WNBA Players Make?
Average WNBA Salary
The average WNBA salary is $130,069 in 2024, according to our calculations using salary data compiled by Her Hoop Stats.*
There has been a noticeable increase in average WNBA salary, with the 2023 average salary recorded at $121,604 and the 2022 average salary at $102,751, according to Yahoo Sports.
* Only full-season contracts were used in this calculation. We didn’t include partial season, hardship, 7-day, or waived contracts in these calculations.
WNBA Salary Maximums
The WNBA has two tiers of maximum base salary – regular max and supermax.
In 2024, the WNBA regular max base salary is $208,219. The WNBA supermax base salary is $241,984.
The higher supermax base salary is meant for the most dominant league veterans. Vets like Arike Ogunbowale, Kahleah Copper, and Jewell Loyd are under supermax contracts. It’s also available to encourage younger stars to stick with the team that drafted them.
Players have to qualify for the supermax base salary under one of these three categories:
- A veteran who has tallied five or more years of WNBA service after 2021 (or six years before 2021). They must also have been in contract for the most recent two seasons.
- A younger player signs an extension of their rookie scale contract.
- A free agent with five or more years signed with their prior team. Regardless of their years of service, free agents can also earn the supermax if their team designates them as core players.
Here’s a look at WNBA maximum base salaries, as laid out by the CBA. As you can see, it increases each year:
| YEAR | REGULAR MAX | SUPERMAX |
| 2020 | $185,000 | $215,000 |
| 2021 | $190,550 | $221,450 |
| 2022 | $196,267 | $228,094 |
| 2023 | $202,154 | $234,936 |
| 2024 | $208,219 | $241,984 |
| 2025 | $214,466 | $249,244 |
| 2026 | $220,900 | $256,721 |
| 2027 | $227,527 | $264,423 |
WNBA Salary Minimums
The CBA also governs the minimum base salary for WNBA players at the starting phase of their professional journey.
In 2024, for players with two years of experience or less, the WNBA league minimum is set at $64,154.
Those with three or more years of service have a higher minimum base salary. In 2024, that minimum i set at $76,535.
A sign of the league’s growth, the lowest WNBA salary has grown significantly. For comparison, the league minimum was just $41,965 in 2019. And in further good news, the WNBA salary minimum will continue to increase throughout the eight years of this current CBA.
Here’s a look at WNBA minimum base salaries between 2020 and 2027:
| YEAR | VETERAN (0-2 YEARS) | VETERAN (3+ YEARS) |
| 2020 | $57,000 | $68,000 |
| 2021 | $58,710 | $70,040 |
| 2022 | $60,471 | $72,141 |
| 2023 | $62,285 | $74,305 |
| 2024 | $64,154 | $76,535 |
| 2025 | $66,079 | $78,831 |
| 2026 | $68,061 | $83,631 |
| 2027 | $70,103 | $83,631 |
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Highest and Lowest Paid Players in 2024
WNBA athletes are making more than ever, with the highest paid WNBA players bringing home over $200,000 in base salary alone. Talented players are found at both ends of the base salary spectrum. Still, the league’s salary system is structured to reward the highest performers and those who have been in the league longer.
Who is the Highest Paid WNBA Player?
Three WNBA players tie for the highest paid WNBA player in 2024.
Seattle Storm’s Jewell Loyd, Dallas Wings’ Arike Ogunbowale, and Phoenix Mercury’s Kahleah Copper each earn a supermax salary of $241,984 this season.
The league’s collective bargaining agreement sets the supermax, so $241,984 is the highest possible base WNBA salary a player can make this season.
Top 20 Highest Paid WNBA Players
What’s clear already from these early days of the 2024 season is that the league is filled with immense talent. That’s reflected in the top 20 highest paid WNBA players, a list of the league’s most valuable and skilled players.
Here’s a list of the top 20 highest-paid WNBA players in 2024:
| PLAYER | TEAM | BASE SALARY IN 2024 | |
| T-1 | Jewell Loyd | Seattle Storm | $241,984 |
| T-1 | Arike Ogunbowale | Dallas Wings | $241,984 |
| T-1 | Kahleah Copper | Phoenix Mercury | $241,984 |
| T-4 | Diana Taurasi | Phoenix Mercury | $234,936 |
| T-4 | Natasha Howard | Dallas Wings | $234,936 |
| 6 | Alyssa Thomas | Connecticut Sun | $218,000 |
| T-7 | Kelsey Mitchell | Indiana Fever | $212,000 |
| T-7 | Brionna Jones | Connecticut Sun | $212,000 |
| T-9 | Skyler Diggins-Smith | Seattle Storm | $208,219 |
| T-9 | Napheesa Collier | Minnesota Lynx | $208,219 |
| T-11 | Kayla McBride | Minnesota Lynx | $208,000 |
| T-11 | Marina Mabrey | Chicago Sky | $208,000 |
| 13 | Breanna Stewart | New York Liberty | $205,000 |
| 14 | Erica Wheeler | Indiana Fever | $202,154 |
| 15 | Sabrina Ionescu | New York Liberty | $202,000 |
| T-16 | DeWanna Bonner | Connecticut Sun | $200,000 |
| T-16 | Natasha Cloud | Phoenix Mercury | $200,000 |
| T-16 | A’ja Wilson | Las Vegas Aces | $200,000 |
| T-16 | Ariel Atkins | Washington Mystics | $200,000 |
| T-16 | Kelsey Plum | Las Vegas Aces | $200,000 |
Lowest WNBA Salary
On the other end of the spectrum, 12 players in 2024 earned the lowest WNBA salary.
With two years or less of experience in the WNBA, each player was paid the league minimum base salary of $64,154.
These young players and role players still have the opportunity for additional compensation on top of their base salary by engaging in separate marketing agreements with the league and their team, earnings through the league’s 50-50 incremental revenue share, helping their team win the Commissioner’s Cup, and earning end-of-the-year performance awards (WNBA Rookie of the Year).
WNBA Salaries By Team
The CBA directs the total salaries that each of the league’s 12 WNBA teams (soon to be 14; see our WNBA teams map) pays their respective players.
Under the CBA, teams must follow a minimum and maximum total salary (salary cap) for all players on their books.
In 2024, the minimum team salary is $1,224,630, and the WNBA salary cap is $1,463,200.
Teams can only go over the salary cap if the WNBA grants them hardship or emergency hardship exceptions because of injuries or other availability issues with players.
Here’s a look at total salaries by WNBA team in 2024:
| TEAM | TOTAL SALARIES IN 2024 |
| Atlanta Dream | $1,474,532 |
| Chicago Sky | $1,297,822 |
| Connecticut Sun | $1,445,838 |
| Dallas Wings | $1,474,532 |
| Indiana Fever | $1,438,982 |
| Las Vegas Aces | $1,462,921 |
| Los Angeles Sparks | $1,303,642 |
| Minnesota Lynx | $1,403,402 |
| New York Liberty | $1,432,679 |
| Phoenix Mercury | $1,462,190 |
| Seattle Storm | $1,461,872 |
| Washington Mystics | $1,369,048 |
Highest Paid WNBA Player on Every Team
Are you curious who is the highest paid WNBA player on each team?
Each of the WNBA’s 12 teams is limited on the total salary they can pay all the players on their books. This maximum salary, or salary cap is $1,463,200 in 2024. Because of these constrictions, teams have to be considerate of how much they compensate their highest paid WNBA player.
All but two teams pay their top-earning player more than $200,000 per season. Separately, three players earn a league-high $241,984 on supermax contracts.
Here is a list of the highest paid WNBA players on every team this season:
- Atlanta Dream: Cheyenne Parker – $200,000
- Chicago Sky: Marina Mabrey – $208,000
- Connecticut Sun: Alyssa Thomas – $218,000
- Dallas Wings: Arike Ogunbowale – $241,984
- Indiana Fever: Kelsey Mitchell – $212,000
- Las Vegas Aces: A’ja Wilson – $200,000
- Los Angeles Sparks: Azurá Stevens – $195,000
- Minnesota Lynx: Napheesa Collier – $208,219
- New York Liberty: Breanna Stewart – $205,000
- Phoenix Mercury: Kahleah Copper – $241,984
- Seattle Storm: Jewell Loyd – $241,984
- Washington Mystics: Ariel Atkins – $200,000
Do WNBA Players Earn More Abroad?
While WNBA salaries are growing, they are not yet where they need to be for players to feel comfortable, let alone being close to those of the NBA.
Many WNBA players look to make up for this pay discrepancy by traveling abroad to play in other leagues where they’ll make significantly more money.
Nearly half of the league’s players have opted to play in basketball leagues overseas, namely in Europe, Turkey, Israel, and Australia.
So how much do WNBA players make overseas? The exact salaries WNBA players receive from playing abroad aren’t readily available. But SBNation reports that players can pull in hundreds of thousands of dollars.
A report from CNN placed potential earnings of playing in Europe at around $1 million per season.
FAQ About WNBA Player Salaries
What is Brittney Griner’s salary?
As one of the most well-recognized stars of the WNBA, Brittney Griner earns a base salary of $150,000 in 2024. This total does not include any income she makes from other league revenue opportunities or sponsorship deals. Brittney Griner is the leader in WNBA dunks and one of the tallest WNBA players, and her WNBA player salary reflects her status in the league.
What is A’ja Wilson’s salary?
WNBA MVP in 2022 and 2023 and two-time Defensive Player of the Year A’ja Wilson earns a base salary of $200,000 in 2024. She earns additional income from other league revenue opportunities and sponsorships.
What is Breanna Stewart’s salary?
WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart’s base salary is $205,000 in 2024. She earns additional revenue from league revenue share and other opportunities and sponsorships with Puma and other companies.
What is Diana Taurasi’s salary?
As one of the great players in WNBA history, Diana Taurasi earns a base salary of $234,936 in 2024. Diana is the league’s all-time leading scorer and the person most people think of when considering who the WNBA logo is based on.
How does the WNBA salary compare to the NBA?
WNBA salaries lag far behind NBA salaries. For example, the highest paid WNBA player earns $241,984 in annual base salary. In contrast, Steph Curry, the highest paid NBA player, will make almost $52 million this year.
Why do WNBA players earn less than NBA players?
Top NBA players earn millions per season compared to the best in the WNBA, a discrepancy attributed to the NBA’s revenue, TV contracts, and sponsorships. However, efforts are ongoing to improve WNBA players’ salaries with new collective bargaining agreements and increased investment in the league.
More About WNBA Players
You can learn more about WNBA players, including best WNBA quotes or who the tallest WNBA players are. Or, visit our comprehensive Fan WNBA Guide to learn more about the league.
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