The WNBA players union will soon be sitting down at the negotiation table with the league, with intentions to ride this recent explosion driven by the rise of Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and other newcomers such as Paige Bueckers and secure hefty pay raises in annual salary for the women across the 13 teams in the league.
Caitlin Clark’s rookie contract, a four-year, $338,056 contract with a base salary of $85,400 per, has been the subject of plenty of scrutiny and criticism considering how much revenue she has brought into the league via merchandise, television ratings and attendance and overall visibility.
All of those legalities will be worked out and the numbers have to add up. Fortunately for people such as Clark and Angel Reese, they have brands with millions of followers on social media that garnered them other corporate opportunities.
Clark got a reported $28M deal from Nike prior to ever stepping onto a WNBA court and her signature shoe is supposed to launch in 2026. Her jersey sales are reportedly legendary.
RELATED: ‘I Want To See The Numbers’: Caitlin Clark Sold More Jerseys Than LeBron, Luka and Michael Jordan
Reese is of course a face of Reebok’s new cultural and fashion direction, getting a nice bag from Shaq and Allen Iverson as well as her own fashion line. Reese, who has 4.9M followers on social media, has also done deals with Reese’s Pieces and other major brands.
As for the players who depend on their checks to make ends meet, Clark’s backcourt mate Kelsey Mitchell is actually the highest paid player in the league. It was thought that she might go elsewhere in the offseason, but the former college scoring wizard was too important to the success of Clark and the Fever to let her go.
Here are the top 10 highest-paid WNBA players for the 2025 season based on their base salaries:
- Kelsey Mitchell, Indiana Fever: $249,244
- Arike Ogunbowale, Dallas Wings: $249,032
- Jewell Loyd, Las Vegas Aces: $249,032
- Kahleah Copper, Phoenix Mercury: $248,134
- Gabby Williams, Seattle Storm: $225,000
- Alyssa Thomas, Phoenix Mercury: $215,000
- Satou Sabally, Phoenix Mercury: $215,000
- Natasha Howard, Indiana Fever: $214,666
- Brionna Jones, Atlanta Dream: $214,466
- Brittney Griner, Atlanta Dream: $214,466
- Skylar Diggins-Smith, Seattle Storm: $214,466
Highest-Paid WNBA Players, Where’s A’ja Wilson Or Breanna Stewart?
Over the last seven seasons, Las Vegas Aces superstar A’ja Wilson and New York Liberty superstar Breanna Stewart have separated themselves as arguably the two best players in the league.
What’s wild is neither is in the top ten for annual salaries. Both players do well off the court, but no way both multiple MVP winners shouldn’t be in the top ten. Stewart has a one-year contract with a guaranteed base of $208,400. Wilson, the reigning MVP, a 28-year-old, seven-year veteran of the W makes an even $200K for her efforts as the “best player in the game.” She also has a Nike signature shoe, so she’s getting extra bread on the side.
Is WNBA Making Enough Money To Raise Salaries?
According to Reuters, WNBA players receive just 20% to 25% of basketball-related income — a stark contrast to the NBA’s roughly 50% share. Salaries in the league range from $66,000 to $250,000 per year, which is a fraction of the NBA’s average salary of roughly $10 million.
Overall, the WNBA continues to take projected losses in the millions, despite the evolution of game coverage and visibility, spearheaded by Caitlin Clark’s ever-expanding brand. Last season the losses were expected to be $40M.
The league received a $2B cut of the NBA’s record media deal worth an estimated $76B. Over 11 years, that should help with operational expenses such as mandatory private charters for players which just became a thing last season after Clark hit the league.
WNBA salaries have continued to go up, however incrementally, which indicates growth in revenue generated by the players within the league.
What’s Average WNBA Salary? Will Players Get More Money With New CBA?
The average salary for the league’s 156 players is $147,745, showing a positive trend in earnings for female athletes in professional sports.
Negotiations for the next collective bargaining agreement for the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) are anticipated to be finished in time for the 2026 season to start on time. The WNBA Players Association (WNBPA) has opted out of its current collective bargaining agreement and hopes to transform the league and help players start receiving a bigger cut of a growing pie.
As president of the WNBA’s players union, Seattle Storm forward Nneka Ogwumike has been asked about the league’s collective bargaining agreement discussions many times.
“We have women out here who know the business. And we understand where our league has been and where it’s going,” Ogwumike said. “And, we’re prepared. We’re prepared. And we want to be able to come out here and represent ourselves and our value the same way we do on the court, in our contracts, in our facilities, in the standards of the resources that are available to us.”
Ogwumike has expressed optimism about the negotiation process.
“Everybody wants to go to the same place. Everyone just has a different idea of how we get there,” Ogwumike said. “But it definitely starts with valuing the players in a way that makes sense for what we’re doing out here, and also makes sense for the people that follow us and the fans that are supporting us. We’ve seen a lot of growth recently, so we have to see that being reflected in how we’re compensated to continue to give you guys games like this every night
