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. Heres to hoping and praying we see her on the court this year. Maybe they should play one on one? As I said above, the average WNBA salary is about $128,000. Its big-time, lets just say that, Brittney told USA Today in 2013. Who is the highest-paid WNBA player in 2023? Diana Taurasi, now 38, signed a two-year supermax deal on February 1, 2021. The 27-year-old has the 151st-ranked salary in the league at $1,607. Hanna Cavinder is the highest earning womens NCAA basketball player, with an NIL value of $846,000.Cavinder is a senior point guard at the University of Miami.She has amassed 4.7 million followers across all social media, making her the most followed college basketball athlete.Her 4.2 million TikTok followers makes her one of the most popular college athletes in the United States. Each player is making the supermax salary of $228,094. Who Is The Most Famous Athlete In The World Right Now. Leagues in their infancy need time to expand, find their audience, and exploit their revenue streams. Shes a American small forward for Washington Mystics in WNBA, joining the team in 2017. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. In his junior season at Indiana, Wilson was named to the Big Ten All-Defensive Team and the Second-Team All-Big Ten Team. 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. Sue is also a part of Team USA. But its less clear how our women stack up against each other. Given those achievements, it makes perfect sense that Skylar is paid top-dollar. At TheDataJocks, though, we take a starkly different perspective. In terms of base salaries, three athletes are tied for the highest-paid player in the WNBA: Seattle Storm stars. ), WNBA players are earning more than they ever have and its well-deserved. He amassed 1.6 million Instagram followers, and 2.7 million TikTok followers, much from his high school basketball highlight videos going viral. For the first few years of the leagues history, it was so unpopular that the NBA had to subsidize the operating cost of their female counterpart. Your login session has expired. To me, this says that viewers are interested in watching womens sports. However, WNBA teams are just trying to stay afloat because the current market doesnt reward the best teams for winning. Duke Blue Devils vs UNC Tar Heels College Basketball Rivalry. Magic Johnson became the first player to earn $10 million or more in the 94-95 season with a salary of $14,660,000. The ratio of the highest paid WNBA player to the 144th best paid WNBA player is about 3.8. The highest paid WNBA player in 2022 is every hooper making the $228,094 supermax which includes Diana Taurasi, Breanna Stewart, and Jewell Loyd. Overall, the average annual salaries in the NBA are much higher than in the WNBA. 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. 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. 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. Two of Chicagos highest-paid players happen to be married: Courtney Vandersloot ($195,000) and Allie Quigley ($135,000), cheekily known as the Vanderquigs, each signed new deals with the Skyearlier last year. Meanwhile, just for reference, tennis phenom Naomi Osaka comes in at $57.3 million according to Forbes. With new coaches, a stacked rookie class, and an abundance of superstars across the league's 12 teams, the WNBA's 26th season is poised to be one of the most exciting yet. A multi-year deal means big bucks and a big bet, so lets add in another $1 million for her sponsorship. Hailey Van Lith is one of the highest earning college basketball players, with an NIL value of $526,000.Van Lith, who is a junior point guard at Louisville, is known as one of the best college basketball players in the nation. Breanna Stewart has signed with UMMC Ekaterinburg in Russia for 2020, and will return to EuroLeague play this season. Check out the highest-paid player on each WNBA team for the 2022 campaign below: Dallas Wings Moriah Jefferson ($180,200) Moriah Jefferson. So given those facts, were going to take a stab at her endorsement income and estimate it to be at least $1.5 million. She is famous for her multiple abilities and incredible guarding at the point region. Would you be willing to send a $5 tip to our Venmo tip jar because it helps support this site and our reporting? Earning a second WNBA title and a second WNBA Finals MVP award. In the NBA, the average salary is about $7.5 million. We all know theres a gargantuan salary gap between NBA and WNBA team players. Stewart is currently having an expensive contract deal with Seattle Storm. The base salary for WNBA rookies varies on when (or if) players were selected in the WNBA Draft. For opponents of increased average WNBA salaries, this is the end of the argument. Stephen Curry of Golden State Warriors is currently the highest paid NBA player for 2021-22 NBA season, earning around $45.7 million U.S while Lebron James, on the 4th rank earning around $41.1 dollars for 2021-22 NBA season. To that point, Taurasis most recent contract was negotiated under the previous CBA, leaving her criminally underpaid. The highest paid player this season is, you guessed itJewell Loyd. A top-WNBA scorer, Skylar has been shooting hoops in the league since 2013. Also in the top 10 richest contracts in WNBA history are Storm legend Sue Bird and Mercury star Brittney Griner. Picks 9-12 will earn $66,306, while second round picks will receive $63,389 in 2022. Hopefully Elena Delle Donne can return to 100% in the near future. Derek Brunson vs Dricus Du Plessis Purse Payouts | How Much Both Earn from Potential Bonus Money? However, some still manage to make 6 figures for their incredible performances. The salaries and endorsements deals of DeWanna has contributed greatly to make her net worth touch the $1.5 million mark and making her the 4th highest paid women basketball player. Jackie Young of the Aces has an average annual salary of $252,450 and is currently the WNBAs highest-paid player in 2023. She is the tallest and highest paid WNBA player. Who Are the Highest-Paid College Basketball Players Right Now. 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. Shes signed contracts with Gatorade, Adidas, and Beats by Dre, Band-Aid, Capital One, and CarMax, among others. She started playing in China in her rookie season. The point of this exercise is to counter the myth that we cant afford to pay high salaries to WNBA players because the league just doesnt make any money. Russell Westbrook, who opted into the final year of his contract for next season, is the highest-paid Laker over both LeBron James and Anthony Davis for next season. As a five star recruit Bailey chose UCLA over a multitude of other schools. As of 2022, the league average of salaries in the WNBA is $102,751 among 151 athletes. Who are therichest womenbasketball players? . In 2019, prior to the new CBA, she capped out at $117,500. Copyright 2017-2023 Rookie Road Inc. All rights reserved. Stay tuned for more information! He has deals with Adidas, Campus Ink, Merchants Bank of Indiana, Turnstone Center, and Push Paddle or Pedal. Breanna Stewart, F, Seattle Storm; $228,094 3. Known for her amazing ability to win championships (she has four WNBA titles under her belt) as well as accolades too numerous to mention (okay, well mention that shes the all-time WNBA assists leader and an 11-time All-Star, to name just two), the superstar point guard has started in 508 games. According to 201011 NBA season game performance, the league's best players were not its highest-paid players. And she deserves every bit of it. Earlier, we pointed out that the WNBA is a young league. Another big name to move in free agency was Breanna Stewart. Who are the highest-paid NBA players? The highest paid WNBA players ever might surprise you. Yahoo! Therefore in the last section when we compared the average WNBA salary to the average NBA salary, we were comparing the salaries of the top 144 womens players to the salaries of the top 360 mens players. 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). The WNBA is a very new league, only having been founded in the late 1990s. However, she did receive her full pay, thanks to the new WNBA CBA. Liz also plays for Australian and international teams during the WNBA off-season. We arrived at that modest figure by calculating that far more than an average overseas salary of $400,000 equals at least $1 million. Who is the highest-paid WNBA player? Liz Cambage has played in China, where, way back in 2012, she reportedly netted $297,100 ($400,000 Australian dollars) for her overseas stint. Top 10 highest paid players in the WNBA. Since the early 2010s, WNBA teams have turned profits without resorting to subsidies. AP Photo/Danny Karnik Los Angeles Sparks Kristi Toliver ($196,100) Kristi Toliver. Even so, that feat earned Diana another $1,803. Some athletes have performed magnificently and managed signing ludicrous contracts. 4. Elena Delle Donne is making around $224,870 this year from contract salaries. The lowest paid player for the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2020-21 NBA season is Daniel Oturu who will be paid a guaranteed $898,310. When that happens, the average WNBA salary will be more representative of the quality of the players in the W. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. No matter how you slice it, the pay gap in the WNBA versus the NBA is remarkable. Shes also currently a member of Team USA. Shes also won a championship with the Los Angeles Sparks, for whom she was the first-round pick in 2008. Elena. 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. [3] Another exception, known as the mid-level exception, allows for teams that are over the salary cap to sign one or more players as long as they do not exceed the total amount of the average NBA salary. Who is the highest-paid player in the WNBA? So its no mystery why shes one of the leagues top earners. While Jackie Young is the WNBA's highest-paid player right now, she might be forced to relinquish that title soon. 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! WNBA stars Diana Taurasi, Breanna Stewart, andJewell Loyd earn the most money in the WNBA, puttingthemamongthe highest paid athletesof all time. The lowest-paid player in the WNBA is Mercurys Kaela Davis. WNBA Salary Rankings Listing the top salaries, cap hits, cash, earnings, contracts, and bonuses, for all active WNBA players. Because the WNBA is a smaller league, the 144 players on active WNBA rosters are the best 144 womens basketball players. Up next, check out the rest of our WNBA salary series, with the lowest paid WNBA players. The Washington Mystics have promised her full salary despite the WNBA not awarding her a medical exemption for the season. And we added in prior overseas play. Jewell Loyd - 228,094 dollars. Women National Basketball Association is the top tier league which gave a new turn to basketball world by providing opportunity to female athletes to show their talent. And they might feel threatened to share their salary information with peers who they feel they are competing for dollars with. But currently, she plays in Russia for the UMMC Ekaterinburg team, where she continues to astound on the court. Hansel Enmanuel is the highest earning college basketball player with an NIL value of $1.5 million. Net Worth: $400,000 WNBA Team: Phoenix Mercury Position: Point Guard Height: 5 ft. 9 in (1.75 m) Weight: 145 lbs. Candaces bread and butter come from her lucrative endorsement deals, which reportedly net her a whopping $3 million dollars! Im ready to have next summer off and focus on getting a European contract where [its] 10 seasons here worth the pay. So its no wonder shes amongst the seven players who top the list in annual salary. So she will now receive $100,000 to train in the United States. Her contract salary with the club is $224.870. With that in mind, it should come as no surprise that many of the richest contracts in WNBA history were signed over the last couple of seasons. Enmanuel famously has commercials with both Gatorade, and J. Coles Puma collaboration named Dreamer.. In the NBA, the highest paid player this year is Steph Curry, making about $48 million. its no wonder why Liz Cambages earnings ar eup there. To supplement her WNBA income, Sue has played overseas during the WNBA off-season for much of her storied career. Her contract salary from the club is $228,094. DeWanna Bonner spent 10 seasons with the Phoenix Mercury, and in that time, she became one of the WNBA's superstars. Top highest paid NBA players in 2021. The Larry Bird exception, more commonly known as Bird Rights, allows teams to re-sign a current player only if he has played for that particular team for a minimum of three years. A Quick History of WNBA Profitability. Candace also has a lucrative contract as an NBA analyst for Turner Sports. The Phoenix Mercury point guard also earned the title of having the most All-WNBA First Team honors a total of 10! High consumption of womens college basketball indicates that there is an appetite for increased consumption of womens professional basketball. The average NBA player makes about 60x as much as the average WNBA player. And add that to her bank. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. The Liberties young star point guard Sabrina Ionescu is slated to make $76,297 this upcoming season. 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. Subscribe to get the latest articles first. To the confusion of CBA novices, eighth-year players Brittney Griner and Skylar Diggins-Smith both out-earned teammate and resident GOAT Diana Taurasi in 2020 by nearly $100,000. In Dianas 17-year career, shes broken WNBA records and has attained a plethora of accolades including being a 3-time WNBA champion. 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. In addition to their WNBA yearly salaries, there are other variables in the equation: endorsement deals, overseas contracts, and merit bonuses awarded to each player based on their individual and team achievements. DeWanna Bonner, Elena Delle Donne and Skylar Diggins-Smith aren't far behind. That means that the NBA brings in about 125 times as much revenue as the WNBA. 1. WNBA stars Diana Taurasi, Breanna Stewart, and Jewell Loyd earn the most money in the WNBA, putting them among the highest paid athletes of all time. 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. And throughout her enviable career, shes been named a WNBA All-Star four times. What is the league average of salaries in the WNBA? 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. 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. But the reality is, the more brands that pump money into womens sports, the more the sport is going to thrive. Wilson has signed NIL deals with Legacy Restaurant Group, MiniJerzeys, Charlie Hustle, Rally House, and Family Promise. I'm being paid same as Pistons' Jackson; A New Approach to Mathematical Sports Analytics. Marta Vieira da Silva is undoubtedly the highest paid basketball player in the WNBA. Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. The list could look different closer to the 2023 WNBA season. Top 10: Who is the Best WNBA Player of All Time? The salary cap, which is regarded as a hard cap, stands at $1,339,000; this amount of money is distributed among 11 or 12 players on each of 12 rosters. Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi, Seattle Storm guard Jewell Loyd and Seattle forward Breanna Stewart are the highest-paid players in the WNBA,. And shesignedon to exclusively wear LeBron Jamessignatureline on court. In 2020, the Women's National Basketball Association came to termson a new collective bargaining agreement that included significant salary bumps. Since then, she is leading a glorious career. We may earn some commission if you were to buy something via our affiliate links, Top 10 Most Selling Football Boots In The World | Nike Mercurial Vapor Tops The List As Used By Ronaldo, Mbappe & Neymar, Top 10 Most Expensive Injuries In Football, The Best Apps/Websites to Watch MF & DAZN X Series 005 Live Online | 5 March 2023, The Best Apps/Websites To Watch Jay Swingler vs Nicholai Perrett Live Online | 5 March 2023. Basically, knowledge is power! Bates has been compared to all time great players such as Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Mia Mastrov is one of the highest earning college basketball players, with an NIL value of $375,000.Mastrov is a sophomore guard at the University of California. She played for Dallas Wings from the beginning of her career before making a move to Phoenix Mercury in 2020 for which she is currently playing for. Max and supermax players now receive annual 3 percent salary bumps, and by 2027, the salary cap will have grown incrementally by nearly $300,000. Check out the highest-paid player on each WNBA team for the 2022 campaign below: Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. And did we mention that shes also the leagues all-time highest scorer? The trajectory of our organization changed the day we drafted her 17 years ago, and we are excited she will be here into the future. The deal could be the last of Taurasis career, but we can feel relieved that she is reaping some of the benefits shes worked to sow for the next generation. Third rounders and undrafted rookies will receive . NBA players get paid more because their league makes more money, full stop. She was named the WNBA MVP in 2018 and was named. The minimum NBA salary is just over $1 million per year while the highest paid WNBA player in the current season is around $230,000. She is holding the most ludicrous contract deal with WNBAs club. She signed a two year $463,030 contract last offseason, giving her an annual salary of $231,515. This means in the NBA, the best paid player makes about six and a half times as much as the average player. If you dont give any extra thought to the above numbers, WNBA players make more money relative to their league revenue than NBA players do. Skylar will make $227,900 from her Phoenix Mercury contract in 2022. The professional game is of an indisputably higher quality than the college game. Skylar Diggins-Smith - $221,450. And before the first games tip off on Friday, Insider took a look at the league's highest-paid players on each team based on Spotrac's salary figures. And its easy to see that theres a good chance Candace made close to $1.5 million dollars during her overseas reign. Phoenix Mercuryteammates Skylar Diggins-Smithand Brittany Grinerarenot far behind on therichest woman basketballplayers list. Breanna signed a multi-year deal with Nike in 2016. Jewell Loyd (born October 5, 1993) is an American professional basketball player for Perfumerias Avenida of Spain's Liga Femenina de Baloncesto and the Seattle Storm of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). However, in order to help the Storm retain key talent in 2022, Sue took at pay cut down to a mere $72,141. (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. Knocked out in the second round of the playoffs, the Phoenix Mercury, Skylars current team, earned her a team bonus of $1,803. In 2020, the leagues latest collective bargaining agreement bumped the maximum salary for the highest-paid players from $117,500 to $215,000. Each year there are ten players selected to one of the two All-NBA Teams. In 2021, the star signed a multiyear shoe deal with Puma that guarantees her the creation and release of her own signature sneaker. And thus still earned her $1.5 million salary! Well give a quick synopsis of the economic perspective here. Shes part of Carmelo Anthonys basketball video lessons program, and she was the first woman on the cover of NBA 2K. Or learn how salary impacts WNBA free agency. Why? In June 2021, the Supreme Court ruled that the NCAA was no longer allowed to prevent education-related payments to students, which changed college sports forever.This paved the way for NIL deals, which allowed college athletes to profit on their own name, image, and likeness through endorsements and brand deals.A combination of a strong social media following off the court, and good play on the court can result in players receiving millions of dollars in NIL deals per season. Shes been named league MVP twice, has been an All-Star 5 times, including being named the All-Star MVP in 2013. Drew Timme is a star forward for the Gonzaga Bulldogs mens basketball team, who has an NIL value of $912,000.He is in his senior season at Gonzaga, and has had quite the career with the Bulldogs. She pulls in almost $1 million per season abroad, which far outweighs her top-dollar WNBA salary. Astonishing fact: Despite making our list of the highest paid WNBA players, Skylar has never lined her pockets by playing overseas! They are Diana Taurasi, Breanna Stewart, and Jewell Loyd. No matter what is the sport, there is always a pay gap between the mens and womens event. The groundbreaking collective bargaining agreement unveiled by the WNBPA, WNBA Board of Governors, and WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert in January 2020 boosted base salaries and continues to provide for extra earning opportunities for WNBA players. Mercury G Diana Taurasi: $228,094 (WNBA max salary) Contract: 2 years, $449,544 Average annual value: $224,772 t-1. Image credit: (Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images). So today, we break down potential revenue streams for our favorite female athletes. Plum remains a seminal piece for the Aces, as they regularly look at her to break interior defenders and draw fouls on opposing defenses. The WNBA is a very new league, only having been founded in the late 1990s. Three players will earn a league-high $228,094 on WNBA supermax salaries this season. Scott Rafferty is a Senior NBA Editor for The Sporting News. However, this is important knowledge, especially amongst players. In spite of the Suns disappointing loss in the WNBA Finals, Bonner enjoyed an efficient postseason that saw her come up clutch in the semifinals against the Chicago Sky. She, along with 7 other WNBA players, also has a Glossier deal. Last season Loyd averaged 17.9 points, 3.8 assists, and 1.4 steals, earning her All-WNBA First team honors. The highest-paid NBA players by season has recently eclipsed $40 million. She played college basketball at Notre Dame. Bates was dismissed from Memphis following legal troubles and now finds himself at Eastern Michigan. Once that happens, WNBA salaries will reach the place where they should be for the entertainment value they are capable of providing. The NBA was a tiny league that nearly collapsed multiple times. Here is Spotrac.com's top 10 list of highest-paid WNBA players by average annual value. At the age of 32, Elena is still giving brilliant performance and winning games for her team. Data provided by HighPostHoops.com 2023 Average Rankings This means that not only is the average WNBA salary lower than it should be, the top tier female athletes are underpaid! Which Colleges Have Had The Most NBA Players? And being named to the 2020 All-WNBA Second Team adds another merit bonus to her cap. Including being named twice to the All-WNBA First Team and twice to the All-WNBA Second team. No doubt, this WNBA veteran is a superstar. And has had deals with State Farm and American Express in the past. The NCAA womens college basketball tournament has been played since the late 1970s. 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. often in parts of the world that many Americans would not want to visit themselves. However, in recent years the popularity of the WNBA is skyrocketing. And a 2021 championship with the Chicago Sky. In his sophomore season, he led the Jayhawks to a National Championship win. To get to the WNBAlevel,hoopersmust train relentlessly, compete at the highest level, andwin games. The Suns have clear championship expectations and Bonner will have to play at an elite level if they want to win their first chip. In 2022, Candace will make $195,000 from her WNBA contract. 7. She primarily plays in Russia, where she earns anywhere between $400,000 $1.5 million dollars per overseas season. weve reduced salary costs to buying wins, Top 10: Who is the Best WNBA Player of All Time? Lets see which WNBA superstars have pocketed the most cash money over the past few years. Now, because the average WNBA player makes 56 times as much as NBA players, the pay gap becomes clearer.