She led the University of Connecticut (UConn) Huskies to four national championships, was named the Final Four's most outstanding player a record four times, and was a three-time consensus national player of the year. The 68 center for the Los Angeles Sparks has been selected to the All-Star team three times. She's a sensational player. 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). Wilson's 2022 campaign will go down as arguably the most dominant season in WNBA history. He has deals with Adidas, Campus Ink, Merchants Bank of Indiana, Turnstone Center, and Push Paddle or Pedal. Not only that but the maximum salary a WNBA player could earn almost doubled, from $117,500 to $215,000 in 2020, per ESPN. Breanna Stewart - 228.094 dollars. The highest paid WNBA players are certainly not paid enough. 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. She was named the WNBA MVP in 2018 and was named. Here is Spotrac.com's top 10 list of highest-paid WNBA players by average annual value. As well as earned All-WNBA First Team and Second Team honors. Which earned Brittney another $1,803 dollars in bonus cash. The problem is just that the WNBA isnt pushed as well as it could be. But currently, she plays in Russia for the UMMC Ekaterinburg team, where she continues to astound on the court. Taurasi was actually the fourth-highest earner on her team last year, and took home nearly 35% less than sixth woman Bria Hartley did. Hansel Enmanuel is the highest earning college basketball player with an NIL value of $1.5 million. Here's the list of the top 25 highest paid players in the WNBA in 2022: Breanna Stewart: Seattle Storm - $228,094 Diana Taurasi: Phoenix Mercury - $228,094 Jewell Loyd: Seattle Storm - $228,094 Brittney Griner: Phoenix Mercury - $227,900 DeWanna Bonner: Connecticut Sun - $227,900 Elena Delle Donne: Washington Mystics - $227,900 Now, compare the average WNBA salary (128,000) versus the average NBA salary (7.5 million). And she was the WNBA Finals MVP (which probably doesnt get the $15,450 the season MVP gets). Cavinder has endorsement deals with Under Armour, Raising Canes, Intuit TurboTax, and Victoria's Secret PINK. What are the richest contracts in WNBA history? 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. Or learn how salary impacts WNBA free agency. , heres a breakdown of how much rookies drafted in 2022 made this season: According to Spotrac, Rhyne Howard, NaLyssa Smith, Shakira Austin and Emily Engstler, the top four picks in 2022, all have salaries of $72,141. In 2020, she let the league know she was back in business after her achilles injury. DeWanna Bonner spent 10 seasons with the Phoenix Mercury, and in that time, she became one of the WNBA's superstars. Sue has been with Nike since 2003. As they say, acandlelosesnothingbylighting another candle. Brittney signed a lucrative endorsement deal with Nike seven years ago in her rookie year. Young was the Aces' first overall pick in 2019 and has been critical for the reigning WNBA champions. Even so, that feat earned Diana another $1,803. In high school, she was the National Gatorade . Also Who is the lowest paid WNBA player? She recently starred in some CarMax commercials. Storm F Breanna Stewart: $228,094 (WNBA max salary) Contract: 1 year, $228,094 Average annual value: $228,094 While these might not necessarily be the exact total pay figures for players, we did the best we could directionally. As of 2022, the league average of salaries in the WNBA is $102,751 among 151 athletes. Elena Delle Donne - 227,900 dollars. Candace also has a lucrative contract as an NBA analyst for Turner Sports. Basketball icon, WNBA salaries: Who has the highest, league average, more. At the end of the day, salaries have to be related to revenue. [4] Next, the bi-annual exception can be used by teams every other year to sign a free agent(s) for up to two years at an amount set by the NBA. Patrick Ewing became the first player to earn $15 million or more in the 95-96 season with a . If not for the remarkably low average WNBA salary, the Ws stars would not be compelled to play in overseas leagues in the offseason. Eight players . So its no mystery why shes one of the leagues top earners. With new coaches, a stacked rookie class, and an abundance of superstars across the league's 12 teams, the WNBA's 26th season is poised to be one of the most exciting yet. Please logout and login again. In 2020, the top WNBA base salary was $215,000; in 2019, the top WNBA base salary was $117,500. The American-Macedonian professional player is playing as a shooting guard for the Connecticut Sun in Womens National Basketball Association. Breanna signed a multi-year deal with Nike in 2016. 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. 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. Also in the top 10 richest contracts in WNBA history are Storm legend Sue Bird and Mercury star Brittney Griner. Who is the highest paid WNBA player in the world right now? Who is the highest-paid WNBA player in 2023? Hopefully Elena Delle Donne can return to 100% in the near future. To that point, Taurasis most recent contract was negotiated under the previous CBA, leaving her criminally underpaid. As of now, the details of her contract have not been announced. 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 second highest earner on the Aces is two-time league MVP A'ja Wilson. All-star guard Jewell Loyd became the highest paid WNBA player after resigning with the Seattle Storm before last season. . Loyd is no doubt, one of the greatest basketball player of all times. 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. And approximate what some of them might have made during a peak playing year. And shes only been in the league seven years! The WNBA is a very new league, only having been founded in the late 1990s. Highest-paid WNBA Players of 2022 by Total Salary Dollar figures via Spotrac based on a 2022 salary cap of $1,379,170. The league minimum salary is now $58,710. The lowest-paid player in the WNBA is Mercury's Kaela Davis. Sue is one of the few WNBA stars who have endorsement deals. A Quick History of WNBA Profitability. The Mercury secured a playoff spot but was knocked out during the 2nd round. 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. The lowest paid player for the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2020-21 NBA season is Daniel Oturu who will be paid a guaranteed $898,310. 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. 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. He amassed 1.6 million Instagram followers, and 2.7 million TikTok followers, much from his high school basketball highlight videos going viral. Jackie Young of the Aces has an average annual salary of $252,450 and is currently the WNBA's highest-paid player in 2023. Mia Mastrov is one of the highest earning college basketball players, with an NIL value of $375,000.Mastrov is a sophomore guard at the University of California. There might not be an NBA at all. Speaking about the deal, Breanna said that its bigger than basketball, and that she hopes to have a lasting impact on her younger fans. @megsterr. Some athletes have performed magnificently and managed signing ludicrous contracts. The highest paid player this season is, you guessed itJewell Loyd. Once that happens, WNBA salaries will reach the place where they should be for the entertainment value they are capable of providing. In 2021, her Las Vegas Aces salary was $221,450. In order to be fairly compensated, you need to know what to ask for. And they might feel threatened to share their salary information with peers who they feel they are competing for dollars with. Last season Loyd averaged 17.9 points, 3.8 assists, and 1.4 steals, earning her All-WNBA First team honors. And we added in prior overseas play. 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. Loyd was the first overall pick in 2015 after an illustrious career at Notre Dame, going to two national championship games. 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. As we dive into the salaries of WNBA players, however, the difference is stark. Heres to hoping and praying we see her on the court this year. To get to the WNBAlevel,hoopersmust train relentlessly, compete at the highest level, andwin games. WNBA salaries: Who has the highest, league average, more originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea. In this list we examine the top 10 highest paid college basketball players as of February 2023. The two-time champion is leaving the Seattle Storm after six seasons to play for the New York Liberty. No matter how you slice it, the pay gap in the WNBA versus the NBA is remarkable. 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. Who Are the Highest-Paid College Basketball Players Right Now. 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. Clocking in roughly $228,094 for the year, Loyd is currently in the midst of bringing the Storm back to the WNBA mountaintop. 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. However, she did receive her full pay, thanks to the new WNBA CBA. If the leagues popularity continues to increase as it is, the average WNBA salary will follow suit. And being named to the 2020 All-WNBA Second Team adds another merit bonus to her cap. Diggins was drafted third overall by the Tulsa Shock in the 2013 WNBA draft. So she will now receive close to $100,000 to train for United States. To receive email updates when new articles are posted, use the subscription form below! WNBA teams can talk to free agents starting on Jan. 21. However, WNBA teams are just trying to stay afloat because the current market doesnt reward the best teams for winning. Skylar has as a very successful WNBA career playing basketball at the highest level. However, in order to help the Storm retain key talent in 2022, Sue took at pay cut down to a mere $72,141. The Ace's core remains young and hungry after their first taste of winning, but can they do it again next season? Diana Lorena Taurasi (born June 11, 1982) is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Mercury of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and UMMC Ekaterinburg of Russia. For the first few years of the league's history, it was so unpopular that the NBA had to subsidize the operating cost of their female counterpart. NBA Player Salaries - 2022-2023 . With the 2021 WNBA season tipping off Friday, we took a look at the league's highest-paid players. As detailed by CNBC, the average pay for a WNBA player in the season prior to the new agreement was around $116,000. When comparing college leagues, the men draw about 15 times more viewers than the women. 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). Full list of highest paid players. Even just a small increase in income in the WNBA revenue will lead to more equitable salaries for these players who are the best of the best. In spite of the Suns disappointing loss in the WNBA Finals, Bonner enjoyed an efficient postseason that saw her come up clutch in the semifinals against the Chicago Sky. Due to injuries and other factors, Sue hasnt played overseas since 2014. The list could look different closer to the 2023 WNBA season. A teacher makes approximately $35,000-$55,000 yearly. WWE Wrestlers Who Served In Military | How It Impact Their Careers In Wrestling? Kidding. Speaking engagements net current WNBA players anywhere between $10,000 $50,000, plus Liz is a DJ! 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. The third highest salary on the 2022 championship Las Vegas Aces roster was all-star guard Kelsey Plum. If you buy something from a link on our site, Queen Ballers Club may earn a commission. 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. However, some still manage to make 6 figures for their incredible performances. 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. The salary cap is determined during the offseason, but as stated earlier, it is liable to change.[2]. An exception is necessary to sign a player for a contract that would exceed the salary cap threshold of the "soft cap". Basically, knowledge is power! 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. Here are the complete details about the top 10 highest paid WNBA players in the world along with their salaries and contracts. At 41 years old, Sue Bird will have been in the league for an astonishing 19 seasons and 20 years in 2022, breaking records and dazzling fans all over the world. After being drafted as the #1 pick in 2016, Stewie swept the WNBA Regular Season MVP and WNBA Finals MVP. Jewell Loyd (born October 5, 1993) is an American professional basketball player for Perfumerias Avenida of Spain's Liga Femenina de Baloncesto and the Seattle Storm of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Phoenix Mercury teammates Skylar Diggins-Smith and Brittany Griner are not far behind on the richest woman basketball players list. The NCAA womens college basketball tournament has been played since the late 1970s. We may earn some commission if you were to buy something via our affiliate links, Top 10 Most Selling Football Boots In The World | Nike Mercurial Vapor Tops The List As Used By Ronaldo, Mbappe & Neymar, Top 10 Most Expensive Injuries In Football, The Best Apps/Websites to Watch MF & DAZN X Series 005 Live Online | 5 March 2023, The Best Apps/Websites To Watch Jay Swingler vs Nicholai Perrett Live Online | 5 March 2023. Jewell Loyd, G, Seattle Storm; $231,515 2. [1] LeBron James became the third in the 201617 season. Jessica Penne vs Tabatha Ricci Purse Payouts | How Much Both Earn from PPV Money at UFC 285? Plum had a spectacular regular season that even saw her claim the all-star game MVP this year. The highest paid WNBA player in 2022 is every hooper making the $228,094 supermax which includes Diana Taurasi, Breanna Stewart, and Jewell Loyd. Although WNBA salaries seem low compared to other athletes, WNBA players typically play basketball year round, spending the WNBA offseason touring Europe and doubling, or sometimes tripling, their salary. Under the new agreement, the base salary increased to $130,000. No doubt, this WNBA veteran is a superstar. Heres why: The WNBA is a 12 team league versus the NBA being a 30 team league. 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. Heres everything you need to know about salaries in the WNBA (all numbers via Spotrac): In terms of base salaries, three athletes are tied for the highest-paid player in the WNBA: Seattle Storm stars Jewell Loyd and Breanna Stewart and Phoenix Mercury icon Diana Taurasi. Which added $5,150 to her earnings. The women's basketball players who make the most money are typically the best players in the game. Viviane Araujo vs Amanda Ribas Purse Payouts | How Much Both Earn from PPV Money & Bonuses? And add that to her bank. 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. You might find some affiliate links on our website which are part of advertisement on this website. So that she wouldnt get injured and not be able to play for UMMC. Up next, check out the rest of our WNBA salary series, with the lowest paid WNBA players. She was also the first openly gay athlete to sign with the company, which garnered her a lot of attention. AP Photo/Danny Karnik Los Angeles Sparks . Duke Blue Devils vs UNC Tar Heels College Basketball Rivalry. Image credit: (Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images). With all these ancillary ways to make money, Dianas WNBA salary is just a drop in the bucket! The groundbreaking collective bargaining agreement unveiled by the WNBPA, WNBA Board of Governors, and WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert in January 2020 boosted base salaries and continues to provide for extra earning opportunities for WNBA players. She scored again by being selected to the 2020 All-WNBA Second Team, adding a bonus of $5,150 to her pay. The WNBA is a very new league, only having been founded in the late 1990s. Plus, she was named to the All-First Team so she gets $10,300. [3] Another exception, known as the mid-level exception, allows for teams that are over the salary cap to sign one or more players as long as they do not exceed the total amount of the average NBA salary. Liz medically opted out of the 2020 WNBA season due to the coronavirus pandemic, so she didnt earn any bonus or award money. Highest Paid WNBA Players 5 - Skylar Diggins Smith 4 - DeWanna Bonner 3 - Elena Delle Donne 2 - Breanna Stewart 1 - Jewell Loyd Top 10 Highest Paid WNBA Players 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. WNBAstarswho earn the most money are true international superstars who live luxurious lives on and off the court. as well as other partner offers and accept our. Skylar Diggins-Smith - $221,450. She continues to break records both offensively and defensively. In the NBA, the same ratio is about 4.7. 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. 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. WNBA stars Diana Taurasi, Breanna Stewart, andJewell Loyd earn the most money in the WNBA, puttingthemamongthe highest paid athletesof all time. Third rounders and undrafted rookies will receive . She is currently recovering from a torn ACL. 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. Liz Cambage also endorsed Wilson basketballs as of 2021. Top 25 Highest Paid WNBA Players in 2022 & Ever, Breanna Stewart: Seattle Storm $228,094, Diana Taurasi: Phoenix Mercury $228,094, Brittney Griner: Phoenix Mercury $227,900, DeWanna Bonner: Connecticut Sun $227,900, Elena Delle Donne: Washington Mystics $227,900, Skylar Diggins-Smith: Phoenix Mercury $227,900, Natasha Howard: New York Liberty $221,450, Alyssa Thomas: Connecticut Sun $206,000, Jonquel Jones: Connecticut Sun $205,000, Kelsey Mitchell: Indiana Fever $200,000, Betnijah Laney: New York Liberty $196,267, Nneka Ogwumike: Los Angeles Sparks $196,267, Kristi Toliver: Los Angeles Sparks $196,100, Courtney Vandersloot: Chicago Sky $195,000, Cheyenne Parker: Atlanta Dream $190,550. 1. Therefore in the last section when we compared the average WNBA salary to the average NBA salary, we were comparing the salaries of the top 144 womens players to the salaries of the top 360 mens players. In this article well list a few reasons and statistics why we think the average WNBA salary is lower than it should be. In terms of base salaries, three athletes are tied for the highest-paid player in the WNBA: Seattle Storm stars. Skylar will make $227,900 from her Phoenix Mercury contract in 2022. 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. So given those facts, were going to take a stab at her endorsement income and estimate it to be at least $1.5 million. 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. 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. According to Spotrac, Jewell Loyd and Arike Ogunbowale are currently set to be the highest-paid WNBA players in the 2023 season, with each of them earning $234,936. 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. As are the Washington Mystics small forwardElena Delle Donne and Connecticut Sun guardDeWanna Bonner. Two of Chicagos highest-paid players happen to be married: Courtney Vandersloot ($195,000) and Allie Quigley ($135,000), cheekily known as the Vanderquigs, each signed new deals with the Skyearlier last year. Breannas team, the Seattle Storm, won the 2020 WNBA Championship. Who is the highest-paid WNBA player? Given those achievements, it makes perfect sense that Skylar is paid top-dollar. 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. Now that youre locked in, lets see the results. In 2021, they hit the floor with Chicago native Candace Parker, who stands as the second-highest earner on the team at $195,000. 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. Most recently, her impact was big enough on and off the court to net her Sports Illustrateds Sportsperson of the Year. The average NBA player makes about 60x as much as the average WNBA player. [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. Net Worth: $400,000 WNBA Team: Phoenix Mercury Position: Point Guard Height: 5 ft. 9 in (1.75 m) Weight: 145 lbs. 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. If there is any change in the details, we will make the, available here. 2021 WNBA Finals MVP Kahleah Copper sits at the top of the Sky's salary cap, earning $200,000 annually. We believe that not only are WNBA players underpaid relative to their current league revenue, we also believe that the WNBA as a league could do much, much more to increase its revenue. All these are the details about the top 10 highest paid WNBA players along with their contract salary and net worth. Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. WNBA stars also earn lucrative endorsement deals worth millions per year off the court. She was drafted first overall in the 2015 WNBA draft by the Seattle Storm. He has deals with Dollar Shave Club, Walkers Furniture, Goli Nutrition, and Preediction. The $898,700 contract Natasha Howard signed the following year ranks fourth all-time. Another option for teams would be to assign players to a league-assigned minimum salary contract for a maximum of two years. Who are the highest paid WNBA players in 2022? So she now rakes in almost $100,000 more than that. So its no wonder shes amongst the seven players who top the list in annual salary. In 2017 she was inducted into the Women Basketball Hall of Fame. Check out all the highest paid WNBA players below, and come back when new WNBA starssign newcontracts to see how their salaries stack up! But award money calculations are based off of 2020 results. After Delle Donne went public with her disgust at the situation, the Mystics backtracked and promised to pay her to stay home. We have three points and reasons why we think the average WNBA salary and the league revenue as a whole is set to explode. The highest paid players in the WNBA in 2022 are those with super-maximum contracts. In 2020, the Women's National Basketball Association came to termson a new collective bargaining agreement that included significant salary bumps. Stewart is currently having an expensive contract deal with Seattle Storm. Max and supermax players now receive annual 3 percent salary bumps, and by 2027, the salary cap will have grown incrementally by nearly $300,000. Diana Taurasi, now 38, signed a two-year supermax deal on February 1, 2021. This means that not only is the average WNBA salary lower than it should be, the top tier female athletes are underpaid! But first, lets jump into the basics for this year. Our overall argument is not only that today, right now WNBA players should be paid more. In addition to Roc Nation, Skylar also has deals with Sprint and Nike. Flau'jae Johnson is one of the highest earning college basketball players, with an NIL value of $612,000.Johnson is a freshman standout, combo-guard, at Louisiana State University. The Liberties young star point guard Sabrina Ionescu is slated to make $76,297 this upcoming season. Shes part of Carmelo Anthonys basketball video lessons program, and she was the first woman on the cover of NBA 2K. Basketball icon Sue Bird, who plays for the Storm in what is her last season before retiring, is making the same amount as thats also the leagues veteran minimum salary. 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. She is proficient at getting to her spot and knocking down jumpers at the most crucial moments. - The Data Jocks, Rapid revenue growth and the ratio of revenue to player salary, The ratio of highest paid WNBA players to the average salary. Breanna Stewart, F, Seattle Storm; $228,094 3. 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. Jay Swingler vs Nicholai Perrett Purse Payouts | How Much Both Earn from PPV Money? Shes made our list for all the other money shes raked in beyond being a WNBA rock star. Three players, two of whom suit up for the same WNBA team, will earn a league-high $228,094 on supermax salaries for the upcoming season.