7 Shocking Facts About The Average WNBA Player Salary In 2025

Dec 26, 2025 • minute read

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The financial landscape of the WNBA is in a state of rapid, high-stakes change, yet the average base salary for players remains a point of intense debate and negotiation. As of the December 2025 WNBA season, the average base salary for a professional Women's National Basketball Association player sits at a reported $102,249. This figure reflects the current Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) structure, which is set to expire soon, fueling a major push from the Women's National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) for massive raises and a larger share of the league’s growing revenue.

While the league continues to see unprecedented growth in viewership and sponsorship deals, the compensation structure for its athletes is struggling to keep pace, especially when compared to male counterparts in the NBA. The difference between a player's base salary and their actual total earnings—which are often dominated by lucrative endorsement deals and overseas contracts—paints a complex and often surprising picture of financial life for a WNBA star.

1. The Current Average Salary: A Closer Look at the $102,249 Figure

The quoted average base salary of $102,249 for the 2025 season comes from an analysis of player rosters and contracts, reflecting the base pay before any performance bonuses or additional compensation. This number is a significant increase from previous years, demonstrating the ongoing, albeit slow, growth of player wages under the current CBA. However, this average is heavily influenced by a small number of "supermax" contracts.

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The Minimum and Maximum Salary Tiers

The WNBA salary structure is highly tiered, meaning the "average" can be misleading. Players at the bottom of the roster earn a starkly different wage than the league's superstars.

Minimum Salary: For a player with 0–2 years of experience, the minimum salary is $66,079 in 2025. Veterans with three or more years of experience earn a slightly higher minimum of $78,831.
Supermax Salary: The highest base salary a player can earn in 2025, known as the "supermax" contract, is approximately $249,244. This figure is reserved for the league’s elite, such as Kelsey Mitchell and Jewell Loyd, who command the top pay.

The team salary cap for the 2025 season is approximately $1.5 million per team, which must cover the entire 12-player roster. This low cap is the primary factor limiting the average and maximum player salaries.

2. The True Earnings: Base Salary vs. Endorsements and Bonuses

For the league's most recognizable faces, the WNBA base salary is often the smallest part of their total annual income. The distinction between contract pay and total earnings is critical to understanding the financial reality of the WNBA's biggest stars.

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The Caitlin Clark Effect

The arrival of generational talents like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese has thrown a spotlight on the massive disparity between player salaries and endorsement potential.

Caitlin Clark's Earnings: In 2025, Clark’s total earnings were estimated to be around $16.1 million. Shockingly, less than 1% of that—about $114,000—came from her WNBA salary and bonuses. The rest was generated by major endorsement deals with brands like Nike and Gatorade.
Angel Reese's Earnings: Rookie Angel Reese, whose WNBA salary was around $74,909, also earned over $9 million through endorsements and other ventures.

These examples illustrate that while the average WNBA salary is modest, the earning potential for the league's top-tier players through external deals is now on par with many male professional athletes.

3. The Fight for Fair Pay: CBA Negotiations and Revenue Sharing

The most crucial factor shaping the future of WNBA salaries is the ongoing negotiation for a new Collective Bargaining Agreement. The WNBPA exercised its option to terminate the current CBA following the conclusion of the 2025 season, signaling a strong demand for a more equitable financial structure.

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The WNBPA’s Revenue Share Proposal

The core of the negotiation revolves around revenue sharing. Under the current structure, WNBA players receive a significantly lower percentage of league revenue compared to their NBA counterparts.

Current Player Revenue Share: WNBA players currently receive approximately 9% of the league’s total revenue.
WNBPA Proposal: The players' union is pushing for a deal that would give players around 30% of total WNBA and team revenue.
League Counter-Offer: The WNBA has reportedly proposed a lower percentage, closer to 15%, but with a significant increase in the maximum base salary.

The league has proposed a new salary system that could raise the maximum salary to as high as $1.1 million and the minimum salary to over $220,000, a major increase from the current $66,079 minimum. However, the players' union is prioritizing a higher revenue share, believing it will lead to sustainable, long-term salary growth tied directly to the league's success.

4. The Highest Paid WNBA Players by Base Salary (2025)

While the new CBA negotiations could drastically change the league’s salary structure, the current highest-paid players are those on "supermax" contracts, representing the financial ceiling of the WNBA in 2025.

Player	Team	2025 Base Salary
Jackie Young	Las Vegas Aces	$252,450
Kelsey Mitchell	Indiana Fever	$249,244
Jewell Loyd	Seattle Storm	$249,032
Arike Ogunbowale	Dallas Wings	$249,032
Kahleah Copper	Phoenix Mercury	$248,134

5. The WNBA vs. NBA Salary Gap: A Staggering Comparison

The most frequently cited point of contention in the WNBA salary discussion is the enormous gap between their compensation and that of the NBA. This comparison highlights the scale of the financial disparity in professional basketball.

Minimum Salary Comparison: The WNBA minimum salary for a rookie is about $66,079. The NBA minimum salary is approximately $925,258, a difference of nearly $860,000.
Maximum Salary Comparison: The WNBA supermax salary is about $250,000. The NBA's top salaries are in the range of $50 million a year, making the NBA's maximum over 200 times higher than the WNBA's.
Revenue Share Comparison: NBA players typically receive about 50% of the league’s revenue, compared to the WNBA players' current 9%.

While the revenue and viewership of the two leagues are not comparable, the significant difference in the revenue share percentage is a central issue for the WNBPA, which argues for a more equitable distribution of the revenue that the players generate.

6. The Overseas Factor: Why Many WNBA Stars Play Year-Round

The relatively low WNBA base salary and short season (typically May to October) historically forced many players to supplement their income by playing overseas during the winter.

In leagues across Europe, Australia, and Asia, WNBA stars can command salaries that often dwarf their domestic paychecks. For years, this was a necessary financial strategy, but it took a heavy toll on players’ bodies, leading to injuries and fatigue. The new CBA is attempting to discourage this by imposing penalties for missing the start of WNBA training camps, a move intended to protect player health and keep the league’s stars focused on the domestic season.

7. Future Outlook: The Potential for a Million-Dollar Average Salary

The ongoing CBA negotiations are the key to a dramatic shift in the average WNBA salary. If the WNBPA successfully negotiates a revenue share closer to their 30% proposal, or if the league’s proposed $1.1 million maximum and $220,000 minimum are implemented, the average salary of $102,249 would become obsolete almost immediately.

With record-breaking viewership, new franchises being added, and massive media and sponsorship deals being finalized, the revenue is there for a significant salary increase. The next CBA, set to be finalized after the 2025 season, holds the potential to push the average WNBA player salary into the six-figure range for all players, fundamentally changing the financial future of women's professional basketball.

7 Shocking Facts About the Average WNBA Player Salary in 2025

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