How much WNBA players earn, what is average salary compared to NBA?

NBA player salaries have gone through the roof over the past few years. The current CBA has enabled stars to land generational wealth, even if they are rotational players coming off the bench. However, the same does not apply to WNBA players who earn a mere fraction of what the men rake in.

The NBA is one of the biggest sporting leagues in the United States. The combined value of its thirty teams is $139.75 as of 2025, or $4.65 billion on an average. This means, those teams generate that much money every season to help continue increase their valuations.

In comparison, the twelve WNBA teams that were part of the league last season combine to create just $1.1 billion in valuations. That alone makes the teams combined a quarter of the average NBA team. Now their average of just $96.25 million makes the differences even more apparent.

But NBA and WNBA players are not paid in similar percentages. That has been one of the sticking points of the current CBA on the women’s side. Where the men get a significant portion of TV money along with a share from team revenue, the women just get salaries and some basic amenities.

Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese have brought a surge in interest in the women’s game. They are hoping their superstardom will help their union negotiate for a better CBA which will kick in come 2026. But until then, their differences remain stark.

Current salary breakdown

NBA salaries have breached the $300 million mark with Jayson Tatum leading the mark. Soon other players are expected to follow suit as yearly average salaries move north of $60 million. But this is under the existing media rights deal.

After the league signed the new $76 billion media rights deal, many believe average salaries will keep rising up to the $100 million mark. Those absurd figures have come about after the teams were assured of a staggering inflow every season.

Along with that, teams are investing in infrastructure wherein fans can spend more, thereby increasing revenue. All of this goes on to help NBA players earn generational wealth. The women though, do not have that luxury. This is how their salaries compare to the men.

This table shows that the men get nearly 100 times more than the women. Quite the difference considering the men’s game has steadily declined in viewership, whereas the women are becoming the hottest show in sports.

Caitlin Clark and her peers earn a lot less in comparison to NBA stars

The difference in average salaries already paints a picture where NBA stars are already miles ahead in terms of financial gains when compared to their WNBA counterparts. But the average salary does not show the complete picture. Below are some examples of the salaries between the two.

One look at this table and one can understand the vast differences between what the men earn and what the women take home. The percentage increase between the two is in five figures, something most of the women earn.

Caitlin Clark for instance, earned just $76,535 in her Rookie of the Year campaign. Her counterpart, Victor Wembanyama earned $13,793,692. Which means, he earned roughly 17922% more than Clark. Angel Reese set a new WNBA record for rebounds per game. Yet she earned just $73,439.

In contrast, the NBA’s rebounding leader was Domantas Sabonis, who earned $18,725,000. Here, the percentage difference will be even more than what Clark faced. The numbers keep going up as we compare the highest paid players, proving the divide is stark.

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