highest paid wnba player

In terms of base salaries, three athletes are tied for the highest-paid player in the WNBA: Seattle Storm stars. True W fans know that Elena Delle Donne has been one of the top earners in the W for a hot minute, and it's well deserved. Each had a salary of $228,094 for this season. What are the richest contracts in WNBA history? Marta Vieira da Silva is undoubtedly the highest paid basketball player in the WNBA. Who is the highest paid WNBA player in the world right now? Meanwhile, just for reference, tennis phenom Naomi Osaka comes in at $57.3 million according to Forbes. 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. In the NBA, the highest paid player this year is Steph Curry, making about $48 million. Bates was dismissed from Memphis following legal troubles and now finds himself at Eastern Michigan. Each year there are ten players selected to one of the two All-NBA Teams. Hansel Enmanuel. Due to injuries and other factors, Sue hasnt played overseas since 2014. Patrick Ewing became the first player to earn $15 million or more in the 95-96 season with a salary of $18,724,000. Basketball is also no exception and women players receive much low worthy contracts as compared to men. Picks 9-12 will earn $66,306, while second round picks will receive $63,389 in 2022. Jewell Loyd, G, Seattle Storm; $231,515 2. These seven players. Who are the highest-paid NBA players? Her decision came in spite of a panel of league-appointed doctors who would not deem her medically excused from play in the WNBA Bubble, which would have allowed the Mystics to withhold her 2020 salary. Eight players, including Davis, have salaries less than $10,000. A recent New York Times article talks about how Paige Bueckers is waiting to go pro because there is more money in college basketball than in womens professional basketball. Due to injuries and the pandemic, Delle Donne has only registered three games over the last two seasons. 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. Which earned Brittney another $1,803 dollars in bonus cash. In 2022, the highest paid WNBA players are Breanna Stewart, DeWanna Bonner, Jewell Loyd, Elena Delle Donne, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Brittney Griner, and Diana Taurasi. Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. So its no wonder shes amongst the seven players who top the list in annual salary. According to. But the reality is, the more brands that pump money into womens sports, the more the sport is going to thrive. [The WNBA] doesnt pay my bills playing here doesnt pay my bills We make more money overseas. Plum remains a seminal piece for the Aces, as they regularly look at her to break interior defenders and draw fouls on opposing defenses. DeWanna Bonner comes fourth at $227,900. Of course, athletes dont always see all their endorsement earnings in a single year, but weve included the guesstimated total amount for simplification. Loyd was the first overall pick in 2015 after an illustrious career at Notre Dame, going to two national championship games. Beginning in the 198485 NBA season, the NBA's first salary cap was introduced. She signed a two year $463,030 contract last offseason, giving her an annual salary of $231,515. Sherly is third on the list of the highest paid WNBA players with 99,500$ per year. Sue is one of the few WNBA stars who have endorsement deals. However, this is important knowledge, especially amongst players. Who is the highest-paid player in the WNBA? To that point, Taurasis most recent contract was negotiated under the previous CBA, leaving her criminally underpaid. Leagues in their infancy need time to expand, find their audience, and exploit their revenue streams. Mercury G Diana Taurasi: $228,094 (WNBA max salary) Contract: 2 years, $449,544 Average annual value: $224,772 t-1. How much a WNBA rookies makes depends on where she was drafted. In her first season, she was named to the WNBA All-Rookie team. How Much Does A College Basketball Coach Make? 2021 WNBA Finals MVP Kahleah Copper sits at the top of the Sky's salary cap, earning $200,000 annually. The total revenue for the WNBA is about $60 million while in the NBA it is about $7.6 billion. Breanna Stewart - 228.094 dollars. The mens college basketball tournament is no joke, it is one of the premier sporting events of the year. Skylar Diggins . Patrick Ewing became the first player to earn $15 million or more in the 95-96 season with a . Phoenix Mercury teammates Skylar Diggins-Smith and Brittany Griner are not far behind on the richest woman basketball players list. In her career, she has played exceptionally well and has generated enough revenue from contracts as well as merchandise sales. They are Diana Taurasi, Breanna Stewart, and Jewell Loyd. Elsewhere around the league, star players are enjoying new lucrative contracts. That means that the NBA brings in about 125 times as much revenue as the WNBA. 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. Opponents to increasing the WNBA player salaries at this point will say you cant just adjust a 12-team league to a 30-team league and assume that the numbers will work themselves out! This is an interesting point but in the next section we argue the exact opposite. We did not include revenue sharing in our calculations, which jumped from the current 20 percent to 50 percent in 2021 per the recent CBA, assuming the stipulations were met. They are two All-Star-level talents that can turn whatever team they're on into a contender. If there is any change in the details, we will make the, available here. However, in order to help the Storm retain key talent in 2022, Sue took at pay cut down to a mere $72,141. The women's basketball players who make the most money are typically the best players in the game. Who is the highest-paid player in the WNBA? Thus, looking at average salaries biases the argument in favor of the men! The Best Apps/Websites to Watch Figueroa vs Magsayo Live Online Free | 4 March 2023, Best Apps/Websites to Watch Jon Jones vs Ciryl Gane Live Online Free In UFC 285, The Best Websites/Apps to Watch UFC 285 Live Online For Free. To me, this says that viewers are interested in watching womens sports. Data provided by HighPostHoops.com 2023 Average Rankings 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. And made her mark immediately overseas by winning the Euroleague MVP award. Candace also has a lucrative contract as an NBA analyst for Turner Sports. In 2022, the highest paid WNBA players are Breanna Stewart, DeWanna Bonner, Jewell Loyd, Elena Delle Donne, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Brittney Griner, and Diana Taurasi. In 2021, she signed a new contract with the Vegas Aces on a one-year agreement of $221,450. Jackie Young of the Aces has an average annual salary of $252,450 and is currently the WNBA's highest-paid player in 2023. In the afterglow of a hard-fought championship, 2019 WNBA MVP Elena Delle Donne re-signed with the Washington Mystics in the 2020 offseason to a well-deserved supermax deal. Clocking in roughly $228,094 for the year, Loyd is currently in the midst of bringing the Storm back to the WNBA mountaintop. Liz Cambage also endorsed Wilson basketballs as of 2021. So helping everyone win higher paid overseas contracts and endorsements is actually lucrative for everyone in the long run. 20 Highest Paid WNBA Players 1. We arrived at that modest figure by calculating that far more than an average overseas salary of $400,000 equals at least $1 million. Would you be willing to send a $5 tip to our Venmo tip jar because it helps support this site and our reporting? The highest paid player this season is, you guessed itJewell Loyd. Shes also currently a member of Team USA. Your login session has expired. With all these ancillary ways to make money, Dianas WNBA salary is just a drop in the bucket! A Quick History of WNBA Profitability. 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. Kobe Bryant became just the second player to reach $30 million when the 201314 season began. An exception is necessary to sign a player for a contract that would exceed the salary cap threshold of the "soft cap". 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. And the viewership is increasing rapidly. Earning a spot on Team USA, shes reaped another $100,000 during the WNBA off-season. WWE Wrestlers Who Served In Military | How It Impact Their Careers In Wrestling? And while agents negotiate on players behalves, knowing your own worth ensures you get more of the type of monetary gain you deserve. For the 2021-2022 NBA season, the NBA's rookie minimum sat at $925,000 just about four times the average annual salary of the WNBA's highest-paid player. The WNBA's minimum for a player with zero to two years of experience is $58,710, while vets with three or more years of experience earn a minimum of $70,040. Jackie Young of the Aces has an average annual salary of $252,450 and is currently the WNBAs highest-paid player in 2023. Michael Jordan was the first NBA player to sign a contract worth over $20 million and in fact it exceeded $30 million as well in a season (1996-97) and (1997-98) where he earned $33,140,000; this was a record he had held for 20 years. Shes also won a championship with the Los Angeles Sparks, for whom she was the first-round pick in 2008. And being named to the 2020 All-WNBA Second Team adds another merit bonus to her cap. Jalen Wilson is a forward for the Kansas University Jayhawks mens basketball team, who has an NIL value of $914,000.Wilson has been a star for the Jayhawks, averaging 11.8 points and 7.9 rebounds per game in his freshman season. In his junior season at Indiana, Wilson was named to the Big Ten All-Defensive Team and the Second-Team All-Big Ten Team. Hopefully Elena Delle Donne can return to 100% in the near future. No doubt, this WNBA veteran is a superstar. As a five star recruit Bailey chose UCLA over a multitude of other schools. 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. 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! 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. Here is Spotrac.com's top 10 list of highest-paid WNBA players by average annual value. Bailey has 567,000 followers on Instagram, commanding a large social media presence.Bailey is signed to Roc Nation Sports, and so far has just one deal with Ethika. The salary cap is determined during the offseason, but as stated earlier, it is liable to change.[2]. Who is the highest-paid WNBA player in 2023? 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. But its less clear how our women stack up against each other. Richest Female Basketball Players and Their Net WorthRichest Female WNBA PlayersCandace Parker Sue Bird Breanna Stewart Lisa LeslieElena Delle Donne Kelsey P. For opponents of increased average WNBA salaries, this is the end of the argument. 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. As detailed by CNBC, the average pay for a WNBA player in the season prior to the new agreement was around $116,000. Most Expensive UFC Fighters Contracts Deals. 4. WNBA Highest Paid Players in 2020 DeWanna Bonner (Connecticut Sun) - $215,000. [1] LeBron James became the third in the 201617 season. Top highest paid NBA players in 2021. As we dive into the salaries of WNBA players, however, the difference is stark. 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. Borderline unstoppable in this years playoffs, Gray helped the Aces win their first WNBA title en route to her first WNBA Finals MVP. In 2020, the leagues, Heres everything you need to know about salaries in the WNBA (all numbers via. Magic Johnson became the first player to earn $10 million or more in the 94-95 season with a salary of $14,660,000. Diggins was drafted third overall by the Tulsa Shock in the 2013 WNBA draft. 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. A knee injury kept her out of the 2019 campaign, but she has otherwise played for the Seattle Storm in every WNBA season dating back to 2002. She is playing as Shooting guard for Seattle Storm. 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. Some have argued that even with their current paltry salaries, WNBA players are overpaid. DeWanna Bonner spent 10 seasons with the Phoenix Mercury, and in that time, she became one of the WNBA's superstars. She recently starred in some CarMax commercials. While these might not necessarily be the exact total pay figures for players, we did the best we could directionally. Since Sues team, the Seattle Storm, won the 2020 WNBA Championship, each player pockets an additional $11,536 for that feat. The highest-paid WNBA player makes 22.8 percent of what Hammon does. However, the NBA uses a "soft" salary cap, which means that significant "salary exceptions" allow NBA teams to exceed their allotted amount in order to sign players. 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. Well give a quick synopsis of the economic perspective here. Up next, check out the rest of our WNBA salary series, with the lowest paid WNBA players. Since then, she is leading a glorious career. Although the Storm enjoyed a trip to the semifinals last season, they will have a large gap to fill with the retirement of Sue Bird. 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. 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). As well as earned All-WNBA First Team and Second Team honors. Including being named twice to the All-WNBA First Team and twice to the All-WNBA Second team. 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. 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. Loyd is no doubt, one of the greatest basketball player of all times. ), WNBA players are earning more than they ever have and its well-deserved. In 2020, the top WNBA base salary was $215,000; in 2019, the top WNBA base salary was $117,500. However, WNBA teams are just trying to stay afloat because the current market doesnt reward the best teams for winning. She was drafted by Phoenix first overall in the 2004 WNBA draft. The highest paid WNBA players are certainly not paid enough. The WNBA is on the precipice of a sharp inflection point where the total league revenue will explode and the average WNBA salary can finally increase to where it should be. All-star guard Jewell Loyd became the highest paid WNBA player after resigning with the Seattle Storm before last season. Even so, that feat earned Diana another $1,803. 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. Before we get started, lets set some ground rules: We used 2022 salaries to date as the springboard for our rankings. She has 687,000 followers on TikTok and 382,000 followers on Instagram, commanding one of the biggest social media followings in all of college sports.Mastrov has deals with Neutrogena, Afterpay, and Quizlet. She is famous for her multiple abilities and incredible guarding at the point region. as well as other partner offers and accept our. The 68 center for the Los Angeles Sparks has been selected to the All-Star team three times. Liz medically opted out of the 2020 WNBA season due to the coronavirus pandemic, so she didnt earn any bonus or award money. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. In high school, Stewart was the National Gatorade Player of the Year, the Gatorade Female Athlete of the Year, and a McDonald's All-American. While the terms of the Nike deal remains under wraps, its estimated that she earns almost $1 million for the contract. Phoenix Mercuryteammates Skylar Diggins-Smithand Brittany Grinerarenot far behind on therichest woman basketballplayers list. 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. Young was the Aces' first overall pick in 2019 and has been critical for the reigning WNBA champions. That means the highest paid WNBA players only make about 1.8 times as much as the average WNBA salary. Since the early 2010s, WNBA teams have turned profits without resorting to subsidies. In 2020, she let the league know she was back in business after her achilles injury. While the details of her Roc Nation deal havent been divulged, its Sports President, Juan Perez, says that Skylar has earned far more than if shed played abroad. Why? During her enviable pro career thus far, Brittney has been a 6-time WNBA All-Star. The American-Macedonian professional player is playing as a shooting guard for the Connecticut Sun in Womens National Basketball Association. She started playing in China in her rookie season. This offseason, two of the league's top talents changed teams in free agency. WNBA stars Diana Taurasi, Breanna Stewart, andJewell Loyd earn the most money in the WNBA, puttingthemamongthe highest paid athletesof all time. Jessica Penne vs Tabatha Ricci Purse Payouts | How Much Both Earn from PPV Money at UFC 285? But that doesnt mean that the average WNBA salary should be so low that its employees are compelled to play year round in overseas leagues, often in parts of the world that many Americans would not want to visit themselves. While Diana no longer plays overseas, her career there was an extremely lucrative one. Breanna Stewart has signed with UMMC Ekaterinburg in Russia for 2020, and will return to EuroLeague play this season. Heres why: The WNBA is a 12 team league versus the NBA being a 30 team league. If not for the remarkably low average WNBA salary, the Ws stars would not be compelled to play in overseas leagues in the offseason. Enmanuel famously has commercials with both Gatorade, and J. Coles Puma collaboration named Dreamer.. And has never come off the bench! 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 are the Washington Mystics small forwardElena Delle Donne and Connecticut Sun guardDeWanna Bonner. Skylar has as a very successful WNBA career playing basketball at the highest level. Liz Cambage has played in China, where, way back in 2012, she reportedly netted $297,100 ($400,000 Australian dollars) for her overseas stint. Im ready to have next summer off and focus on getting a European contract where [its] 10 seasons here worth the pay. The 27-year-old has the 151st-ranked salary in the league at $1,607. In February 2020, Bonner was signed and traded to the Connecticut Sun, making her eligible for supermax earnings there. The lowest-paid player in the WNBA is Mercurys. Bueckers has endorsement deals with Crocs, Nerf, Bose, Gatorade, and StockX. 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. In the past, shes had contracts with Puma and BodyArmor. Basketball icon, WNBA salaries: Who has the highest, league average, more. 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. The highest paid players in the WNBA in 2022 are those with super-maximum contracts. weve reduced salary costs to buying wins, Top 10: Who is the Best WNBA Player of All Time? Some argue that if not for the brilliant rivalry between Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, the league might not be anywhere near where it was today. Deals can't be officially signed until Feb. 1.