WNBA pay, compared to the NBA pay, has been a largely debated topic for the last few years. In 2020, the conversation was brought to the spotlight after the WNBA and its players’ union signed a transformative CBA that raised the average salary to six figures and increased the maximum salary to $215K. Offering maternity leave, travel and more marketing opportunities.
The 2020 “Wubble” season in Bradenton, Florida, during the pandemic, brought more national coverage to the WNBA than ever before.
As the pivotal year continued, women like Maya Moore, Sue Bird, Natasha Cloud, Renee Montgomery, A’ja Wilson and Skylar Diggins-Smith used their platforms to speak on racial injustice, pay in sports, police brutality and voting. Fans begin to speculate more about the pay issues as players become more bold to share their current salaries.
Keeping the momentum, through the conflict of two college women ballers in 2023, Angel Reese and Caitlyn Clark. Two of the highest-paid college NIL athletes in women’s college basketball came to the public’s attention.
According to Business Insider, in 2024 alone, Clark’s endorsement deals were valued at $3.1 million. With endorsements from Nike, Gatorade, State Farm, Painin and so many more.
Reese was endorsed by Reebok, Coach, Beats by Dre, Amazon and others, while ranking right behind Clark. She brought in nearly $2 million by the end of her college career, according to Bleacher Report. Way more than anyone has ever seen in the WNBA. The pay has been a lifelong battle since 1996, when the board approved the deal, and into the summer of 1997, when the first WNBA game was played. Women only earned between $15K to $50K. Sheryl Swoopes was the highest-paid at $50K and the first female ever drafted. That’s a 400 times salary difference between the NBA and WNBA at that time. Patrick Ewing for the New York Knicks earned $20.5 million.
History of NBA Pay
The first National Basketball League was established in 1937, while the BAA was established less than 10 years later in June of 1946. Based in New York City, originally known as the Basketball Association of America. The first game was played later the same year, in November. By 1949, the BAA merged with the NBL to form the National Basketball Association. When the first league, the NBL, was established, salaries averaged around $10K to $20K a season. Bobby McDermott was the highest-paid player, peaking at almost $2K a month. Which was a lot for the 1930s era. Moving into the BAA years, the most widely cited players were Bob Davies and Joe Fulks, racking up $8K to $12K a season. While other players were making $4K to $5K/year. $12K in 1946 is roughly $190K in today’s dollars. Far below the modern NBA minimums.
The combination of both leagues in 49′ greater success and higher pay slowly came. George Mikan with the Minneapolis Lakers was the highest paid with an estimated salary between $15K to $20K. A year later, salaries were still the same. In 1954, Mikan still held the crown of highest paid, making between $20K to $25K, with the average making around $6K to $8K. Year 1959, 10 years after the league began to pick up on salaries. Wilt Chamberlain, who entered the league as a rookie, came in making between $30K to $35K.
Later in 1970, Chamberlain was still setting the standard as the highest paid, estimated at $250,000 to $275,000 for the season. In 1980, Moses Malone became the first player to break into the millions. As the highest-paid player that year with a $1 million per year contract.
A Look at WNBA Pay
Since the first game was played in 1997, the WNBA has been overshadowed by the NBA. Which makes sense, men have been doing this professionally since the 1930s. They have dominated TV time, marketing, and making fans of their game. Women’s sports have always been overlooked and underpromoted, especially when the women playing aren’t being sexualized. During the early WNBA seasons, TV outlets gave limited coverage, which made it harder to get sponsorships and advertisements.
In 2010, 13 years after the league began, the highest-paid WNBA athlete was Lisa Leslie, capping out at almost $100k. With the rookie minimum being $35K. Still, at this time, players weren’t promoted as stars, nor were their stories being told. It wasn’t until COVID, post-2020, that the league started getting major attention. The public narrative had been changed by the athletes when they started to speak louder and more boldly on issues happening off the court. Social media, plus the NIL era, also helped boost these women.
In 2020, the players earned a max salary of $215K thanks to the new CBA agreement. Allowing for more games in the season, bonuses, and more time on TV. Some salaries were even pushed over $500K. A major leap from the 2019 max of $117.5K. Some top-paid players were DeWanna Bonner and Skylar Diggins-Smith.
Today’s Game
In 2023, Angel Reese stated on a podcast, “The amount of money I can make in college is way more than the amount I can make in the WNBA.” Sis was right, she was raking in millions on NIL deals and social media. Her college NIL earnings were $1.8 million while her rookie salary was $75K in 2025.
Starting in 2026, the WNBA pay will benefit from a $2.2 billion, 11-year media rights deal. This deal would increase player revenue by 20 percent to match the NBA’s 50 percent allowing player salaries to double and even quadruple. So millions are on the way. The women’s game will finally be headed in the right direction, although it took almost 29 years compared to the NBA’s 31 to hit a million-dollar check. A’ja Wilson, Caitlin Clark or Breanna Stewart are some leading candidates.
