It’s been an exciting year in professional women’s basketball. We saw NCAA all-time scorer Caitlin Clark drafted to the WNBA with the first overall pick by the Indiana Fever and make an immediate impact. We also saw the seventh overall pick, Angel Reese, land on the Chicago Sky and an immediate rivalry spring up between the two.
Clark, for her part, has been credited with single-handedly sparking a surge in popularity for women’s basketball, both at the collegiate level and in the WNBA — a phenomenon known as the “Caitlin Clark Effect.” That’s why it was a bit surprising to see her rookie salary set at just $76,500, not including marketing, sponsorship and endorsement revenue.
So that begs the question: How much do the top players in the WNBA make on average? Here’s a breakdown of the average salary of a WNBA player, plus a full list of every player’s salary, so you can see how much your favorite WNBA star makes each year.
Want to see these players in action on the court? You can catch top WNBA games on TV all season long with DIRECTV!
How Does Compensation Work in the WNBA?
Unlike their counterparts in the NBA, where players split revenue with their franchises 50-50, players in the WNBA receive on average about 10% of their team’s revenue.
Each WNBA team also has to comply with the league’s salary cap, the maximum amount of money it can spend to attract talent and pay players. That figure is currently set at around $1.45 million per team.
Each team must spend a minimum of that number, currently about $1.2 million. If they don’t meet the minimum by the end of the regular season, they must pay players additional salary until it is met.
Which WNBA Teams Pay Players the Most?
Let’s take a look at which teams currently spend the most in player payroll and which spend the least:
| Team | Total Cap | Cap Space |
| Dallas Wings | $1,486,123 | -$22,923 |
| Seattle Storm | $1,462,496 | $704 |
| New York Liberty | $1,458,716 | $4,484 |
| Minnesota Lynx | $1,455,294 | $7,906 |
| Connecticut Sun | $1,452,268 | $10,932 |
| Atlanta Dream | $1,448,844 | $14,356 |
| Las Vegas Aces | $1,428,910 | $34,290 |
| Phoenix Mercury | $1,399,423 | $63,777 |
| Indiana Fever | $1,396,695 | $66,505 |
| Los Angeles Sparks | $1,347,122 | $116,078 |
| Washington Mystics | $1,310,809 | $152,391 |
| Chicago Sky | $1,292,657 | $170,543 |
WNBA Salaries by Player, 2024
Now that we know which teams are the biggest spenders, let’s take a look at which players make the most per season.
Arike Ogunbowale and Natasha Howard of the Dallas Wings, the team that has the highest payroll but one of the worst records this season, Jewell Loyd of the Seattle Storm and Kahleah Copper and veteran player Diana Taurasi of the Phoenix Mercury round out the top five on this list.
What about some of the league’s top-performing players this season? Some of them, like A’ja Wilson, Kelsey Plum and Napheesa Collier are high up on the list, but a few are a bit further down the pecking order, including Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner.
Here’s the full list.
| Player | Team | 2024 Salary |
| Arike Ogunbowale | Dallas Wings | $241,984 |
| Jewell Loyd | Seattle Storm | $241,984 |
| Kahleah Copper | Phoenix Mercury | $241,984 |
| Diana Taurasi | Phoenix Mercury | $234,936 |
| Natasha Howard | Dallas Wings | $234,350 |
| Alyssa Thomas | Connecticut Sun | $218,000 |
| Brionna Jones | Connecticut Sun | $212,000 |
| Kelsey Mitchell | Indiana Fever | $212,000 |
| Napheesa Collier | Minnesota Lynx | $208,219 |
| Skylar Diggins-Smith | Seattle Storm | $208,219 |
| Kayla McBride | Minnesota Lynx | $208,000 |
| Marina Mabrey | Connecticut Sun | $208,000 |
| Breanna Stewart | New York Liberty | $205,000 |
| Nneka Ogwumike | Seattle Storm | $204,500 |
| Erica Wheeler | Indiana Fever | $202,154 |
| Sabrina Ionescu | New York Liberty | $202,000 |
| A’ja Wilson | Las Vegas Aces | $200,000 |
| Ariel Atkins | Washington Mystics | $200,000 |
| Cheyenne Parker | Atlanta Dream | $200,000 |
| DeWanna Bonner | Connecticut Sun | $200,000 |
| Kelsey Plum | Las Vegas Aces | $200,000 |
| Natasha Cloud | Phoenix Mercury | $200,000 |
| Chelsea Gray | Las Vegas Aces | $196,267 |
| Teaira McCowan | Dallas Wings | $195,700 |
| Azura Stevens | Los Angeles Sparks | $195,000 |
| Satou Sabally | Dallas Wings | $195,000 |
| Courtney Vandersloot | New York Liberty | $194,670 |
| Brittney Sykes | Washington Mystics | $190,000 |
| Jonquel Jones | New York Liberty | $190,000 |
| Allisha Gray | Atlanta Dream | $185,000 |
| Jordin Canada | Atlanta Dream | $185,000 |
| Myisha Hines-Allen | Minnesota Lynx | $180,200 |
| Betnijah Laney | New York Liberty | $180,000 |
| Courtney Williams | Minnesota Lynx | $175,000 |
| Katie Lou Samuelson | Chicago Sky | $175,000 |
| Stefanie Dolson | Washington Mystics | $169,950 |
| Jackie Young | Las Vegas Aces | $169,000 |
| Dearica Hamby | Los Angeles Sparks | $160,000 |
| Isabelle Harrison | Chicago Sky | $160,000 |
| Mercedes Russell | Seattle Storm | $160,000 |
| Rebecca Allen | Phoenix Mercury | $155,000 |
| Aerial Powers | Atlanta Dream | $155,000 |
| Ezi Magbegor | Seattle Storm | $154,500 |
| Sophie Cunningham | Phoenix Mercury | $150,000 |
| Alanna Smith | Minnesota Lynx | $150,000 |
| Brianna Turner | Chicago Sky | $150,000 |
| Brittney Griner | Phoenix Mercury | $150,000 |
| Nia Coffey | Atlanta Dream | $142,500 |
| Kia Nurse | Los Angeles Sparks | $141,500 |
| Moriah Jefferson | Chicago Sky | $140,000 |
| Sami Whitcomb | Seattle Storm | $139,050 |
| Tiffany Mitchell | Connecticut Sun | $135,000 |
| Elizabeth Williams | Chicago Sky | $130,000 |
| Tina Charles | Atlanta Dream | $125,000 |
| Astou Ndour | Connecticut Sun | $125,000 |
| Bridget Carleton | Minnesota Lynx | $125,000 |
| Kalani Brown | Dallas Wings | $125,000 |
| Rae Burrell | Los Angeles Sparks | $120,000 |
| Natisha Hiedeman | Indiana Fever | $115,000 |
| Karlie Samuelson | Minnesota Lynx | $115,000 |
| Stephanie Talbot | Los Angeles Sparks | $110,000 |
| Alysha Clark | Las Vegas Aces | $110,000 |
| Kayla Thornton | Las Vegas Aces | $100,000 |
| Diamond DeShields | Los Angeles Sparks | $100,000 |
| Kiah Stokes | Washington Mystics | $100,000 |
| Layshia Clarendon | Seattle Storm | $97,850 |
| Shatori Walker-Kimbrough | Minnesota Lynx | $97,100 |
| Damiris Dantas | Washington Mystics | $97,100 |
| Tyasha Harris | New York Liberty | $95,000 |
| Rachel Banham | Washington Mystics | $94,000 |
| Megan Gustafson | Las Vegas Aces | $90,000 |
| Lindsay Allen | Las Vegas Aces | $89,302 |
| Aari McDonald | Chicago Sky | $88,000 |
| Tiffany Hayes | Indiana Fever | $85,690 |
| Michaela Onyenwere | Seattle Storm | $80,943 |
| NaLyssa Smith | Las Vegas Aces | $80,943 |
| Rhyne Howard | Las Vegas Aces | $80,943 |
| Shakira Austin | Indiana Fever | $80,340 |
| Lexie Brown | Los Angeles Sparks | $78,469 |
| Dana Evans | Seattle Storm | $78,469 |
| DiJonai Carrington | Phoenix Mercury | $77,669 |
| Lexie Hull | Phoenix Mercury | $76,535 |
| Caitlin Clark | Dallas Wings | $76,535 |
| Cameron Brink | Seattle Storm | $76,535 |
| Chennedy Carter | Indiana Fever | $76,535 |
| Kamilla Cardoso | Washington Mystics | $76,535 |
| Kennedy Burke | Seattle Storm | $76,535 |
| Rickea Jackson | Las Vegas Aces | $76,535 |
| Stephanie Soares | Connecticut Sun | $76,535 |
| Sydney Colson | Dallas Wings | $76,535 |
| Temi Fagbenle | Atlanta Dream | $75,792 |
| Victoria Vivians | New York Liberty | $75,792 |
| Aliyah Boston | Phoenix Mercury | $75,792 |
| Diamond Miller | Phoenix Mercury | $74,398 |
| Maddy Siegrist | Connecticut Sun | $73,439 |
| Kierstan Bell | Phoenix Mercury | $73,439 |
| Aaliyah Edwards | Indiana Fever | $73,439 |
| Alissa Pili | Washington Mystics | $73,439 |
| Angel Reese | Chicago Sky | $72,727 |
| Jacy Sheldon | Seattle Storm | $72,727 |
| Grace Berger | Los Angeles Sparks | $72,727 |
| Haley Jones | Indiana Fever | $72,727 |
| Laeticia Amihere | Las Vegas Aces | $72,727 |
Watch WNBA on DIRECTV
So, there you have it: Everything you ever wanted to know about 2024 WNBA salary figures for the current WNBA season.
Ready to catch all the hoops, hits, fouls and free throws as the 2024 WNBA regular season wraps up? Sign up for DIRECTV and start watching today.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the highest paid WNBA player?
Jackie Young is the highest paid WNBA player, with a $504,000 total contract.
Which WNBA team has the highest payroll?
The Dallas Wings have the highest payroll in the WNBA.
What is the current WNBA salary cap?
The WNBA salary cap for 2024 is about $1.4 million.
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