Shes also won a championship with the Los Angeles Sparks, for whom she was the first-round pick in 2008. The lowest-paid player in the WNBA is Mercurys. The 65 point guard is expected to be a future first round NBA Draft pick. 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. 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. Surprise! The NBA was a tiny league that nearly collapsed multiple times. However, this is important knowledge, especially amongst players. And she deserves every bit of it. In 2019, prior to the new CBA, she capped out at $117,500. Marta Vieira da Silva is undoubtedly the highest paid basketball player in the WNBA. According to Spotrac, DeWanna Bonner, Elena Delle Donne and Skylar Diggins-Smith, each signed the richest contract in WNBA history in 2020, worth $899,480 over four years. Maybe they should play one on one? 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. However, in order to help the Storm retain key talent in 2022, Sue took at pay cut down to a mere $72,141. Skylar Kierra Diggins-Smith (born August 2, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Mercury in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Shaqir ONeal is one of the highest earning college basketball players with an NIL value of $1.1 million.Son of legendary NBA center, Shaquille ONeal, Shaqir is a freshman at Texas Southern University. If the leagues popularity continues to increase as it is, the average WNBA salary will follow suit. This is a great book detailing the history of professional Womens basketball. Lets see which WNBA superstars have pocketed the most cash money over the past few years. The average mens tournament game averaged 10.7 million viewers per game. If not for the remarkably low average WNBA salary, the Ws stars would not be compelled to play in overseas leagues in the offseason. Loyd is no doubt, one of the greatest basketball player of all times. In 2020, the leagues latest collective bargaining agreement bumped the maximum salary for the highest-paid players from $117,500 to $215,000. often in parts of the world that many Americans would not want to visit themselves. In 2017 she was inducted into the Women Basketball Hall of Fame. The WNBA is a very new league, only having been founded in the late 1990s. 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. [5] Finally, the rookie player exception allows any NBA team to sign their first-round draft pick to a contract based upon a scale previously set forth by the NBA. 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. Picks 9-12 will earn $66,306, while second round picks will receive $63,389 in 2022. Glancing over at the highest-paid players in the NBA reveals that Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry has the richest annual salary at a little north of $48 million. A top-WNBA scorer, Skylar has been shooting hoops in the league since 2013. Perhaps more importantly, the WNBA now has bona fide superstars to push its popularity. And has had deals with State Farm and American Express in the past. 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. Haley Cavinder is one of the highest earning college basketball players with an NIL value of $842,000.Just like her twin sister Hanna, Haley is a senior point guard at the University of Miami. Not surprisingly, Sue Bird made the salary cap of $221,450 in 2021. Speaking engagements net current WNBA players anywhere between $10,000 $50,000, plus Liz is a DJ! Diana Taurasi, now 38, signed a two-year supermax deal on February 1, 2021. Some of the WNBA's biggest stars are currently free agents in search of new contracts, including Breanna Stewart andCourtney Vandersloot. Kidding. Under the new agreement, the base salary increased to $130,000. Jewell Loyd, G, Seattle Storm; $231,515 2. Net Worth: $400,000 WNBA Team: Phoenix Mercury Position: Point Guard Height: 5 ft. 9 in (1.75 m) Weight: 145 lbs. Previously, she played for Shanghai Baoshun Dahua in Chinas WCBA since the 2016-17 season. Im with Roc Nation, where Im the only woman signed. AP Photo/Danny Karnik Los Angeles Sparks Kristi Toliver ($196,100) Kristi Toliver. 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. [1] LeBron James became the third in the 201617 season. She is currently recovering from a torn ACL. A New Approach to Mathematical Sports Analytics. 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. In 2020, she let the league know she was back in business after her achilles injury. Be the first one to comment on this story. In 2021, the star signed a multiyear shoe deal with Puma that guarantees her the creation and release of her own signature sneaker. All-star guard Jewell Loyd became the highest paid WNBA player after resigning with the Seattle Storm before the 2021 season. But she recently signed deals with life insurance company Symetra (along with her life partner, Megan Rapinoe). Brittney signed a lucrative endorsement deal with Nike seven years ago in her rookie year. And approximate what some of them might have made during a peak playing year. 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. Data provided by HighPostHoops.com 2023 Average Rankings That means that the NBA brings in about 125 times as much revenue as the WNBA. WNBA teams can talk to free agents starting on Jan. 21. Delle Donnes highly anticipated return to competition has the W community on the edge of their seatsas the star forward has been sidelined for nearly two years now. Boxers Who Died In The Ring | How Their Death Impact the Sports? 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). Candace Parker is the first big name to join a new team in free agency. The 27-year-old has the 151st-ranked salary in the league at $1,607. 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. Liz Cambage also endorsed Wilson basketballs as of 2021. AP Photo/Ashley Landis Las Vegas Aces A'ja Wilson and Chelsea Gray ($196,267) A'ja Wilson and Chelsea Gray. [The WNBA] doesnt pay my bills playing here doesnt pay my bills We make more money overseas. And she was the WNBA Finals MVP (which probably doesnt get the $15,450 the season MVP gets). Earning a spot on Team USA, shes reaped another $100,000 during the WNBA off-season. She has 763,000 followers across all platforms, including 673,000 on Instagram.Van Lith has endorsement deals with Adidas, 94 Feet of Game App, Billionaire Girls Club, Dicks Sporting Goods, and The Shaquille ONeal Foundation. If you buy something from a link on our site, Queen Ballers Club may earn a commission. Hansel Enmanuel is the highest-earning college basketball player with an NIL value of $1.5 million.Enmanuel, who was born with no left arm, is from the Dominican Republic and attends Northwestern State University.He amassed 1.6 million Instagram followers, and 2.7 million TikTok followers, much from his high school basketball highlight videos going viral.Fans across the world were inspired by Enmanuels story as well as his ridiculous athletic ability. But first, lets jump into the basics for this year. Stephen Curry became the first player to eclipse $40 million per year when he signed a record 5-year contract worth $201 million in 2017, starting with $34,682,550 in the 2017-18 season and ending with the largest earnings in the 2021-22 season with a record payout of $45,780,966, If his contract continues Curry is expected to be the first player to eclipse $50 million in the (2023-24) season. Enmanuel has deals with major companies such as Adidas, Gatorade, T-Mobile, and Dreamer.He famously appeared in commercials for Gatorade and in a commercial for rapper J. Coles Dreamer collaboration with Puma. 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. Skylar has as a very successful WNBA career playing basketball at the highest level. . Who are the highest-paid NBA players? Stay tuned for more information! Most recently, her impact was big enough on and off the court to net her Sports Illustrateds Sportsperson of the Year. The lowest-paid player in the WNBA is Mercury's Kaela Davis. 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. its no wonder why Liz Cambages earnings ar eup there. 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. 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. The Phoenix Mercury boast three supermax playersand yes, one of them, at long last, is Diana Taurasi. Salaries will continue to rise in the years to come, as the WNBA's salary cap will increase by three percent annually. And shesignedon to exclusively wear LeBron Jamessignatureline on court. 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. A teacher makes approximately $35,000-$55,000 yearly. That concerted effort bared its fruit, garnering each member of the team $100,000. No matter how you slice it, the pay gap in the WNBA versus the NBA is remarkable. The duo of Stewart and Loyd have earned their spots not only as some of the top players in the W, but they are both tied for the number two spot in the list of top WNBA earners at $228,094. However, we think the discrepancy is larger than it should be based on viewership and appetite for womens professional sports. Leagues in their infancy need time to expand, find their audience, and exploit their revenue streams. 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. Please logout and login again. 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. The professional game is of an indisputably higher quality than the college game. 2023 Salary: $234,350. Her contract salary with the club is $224.870. Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi, Seattle Storm guard Jewell Loyd and Seattle forward Breanna Stewart are the highest-paid players in the WNBA,. How much a WNBA rookies makes depends on where she was drafted. And did we mention that shes also the leagues all-time highest scorer? Now, compare the average WNBA salary (128,000) versus the average NBA salary (7.5 million). 1-4 in the 2022 WNBA Draft, the base salary is expected to be $72,141 in year one. The problem is just that the WNBA isnt pushed as well as it could be. Breanna earns approximately $1.5 million per season overseas reported ESPN. Double trouble. They are Diana Taurasi, Breanna Stewart, and Jewell Loyd. Parker was an All-Star at age 36 last year after posting averages of 13.2 points, 8.6 rebounds and 4.5 assists across 32 games. Meanwhile, center Griner re-signed with and was cored by Phoenix, and was able to take advantage of the new supermax rules as well. The highest paid WNBA player this year is a tie between Breanna Stewart, Diana Taurasi, and Jewell Lloyd each making just over $228,000 this year. Since then, she is leading a glorious career. Each year there are ten players selected to one of the two All-NBA Teams. So today, we break down potential revenue streams for our favorite female athletes. 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. See the highest and lowest player salaries in the NBA on ESPN.com. She has also, Breanna Mackenzie Stewart (ne Baldwin; born August 27, 1994) is an American professional basketball player for the Seattle Storm of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). 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. Some have argued that even with their current paltry salaries, WNBA players are overpaid. 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. All-star guard Jewell Loyd became the highest paid WNBA player after resigning with the Seattle Storm before last season. WNBA Highest Paid Players in 2020 DeWanna Bonner (Connecticut Sun) - $215,000. I'm being paid same as Pistons' Jackson; Liz herself said, in 2018: Ive said this many times. Jay Swingler vs Nicholai Perrett Purse Payouts | How Much Both Earn from PPV Money? The lowest-paid player in the WNBA is Mercurys Kaela Davis. 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! 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. In Dallas, guard Allisha Gray ($164,800) will be the top earner on a youthful Wings team set to be held down by its burgeoning superstarsArike Ogunbowale ($72,141) and Satou Sabally ($76,297) will have to wait until at least 2023 for the substantial pay rises they deserve. Highest-paid WNBA Players of 2022 by Total Salary Dollar figures via Spotrac based on a 2022 salary cap of $1,379,170. The minimum salary for an WNBA player with two years of service will rise from $42,728 annually to $57,000 beginning in 2020. WNBA Salary Rankings Listing the top salaries, cap hits, cash, earnings, contracts, and bonuses, for all active WNBA players. In 2020, the leagues, Heres everything you need to know about salaries in the WNBA (all numbers via. Thanks to the hard-fought increases in the 2020 CBA (thank you Nneka! 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. Given those achievements, it makes perfect sense that Skylar is paid top-dollar.