Even though some WNBA and NBA teams play in the same arenas, there is no doubt that the two leagues are polar opposites when it comes to compensation. In all,
were more than 100 times higher in 2024/25 than in the WNBA, the latter amounting to 120,000 US dollars. Considering that the
regularly exceeds $10 billion per season, it stands to reason that male professional basketball players in the United States earn slightly more than their female counterparts. However, for most parties, closing the gender pay gap in basketball does not mean full pay parity. Rather, there is growing pressure for a fairer distribution of income among players,
totaling only 10 percent. NBA players, on the other hand, receive about half of the league’s revenue.
How are salaries structured in the WNBA and NBA?
In principle, the WNBA and NBA salary scales share some similarities, with years of service determining the minimum base salary players are entitled to. However, the The NBA minimum salary scale employs more flexibility, with the lowest salary level changing with each year of service during the first ten years of a player’s league career. Meanwhile, the minimum salary scales in the WNBA have only two levels: zero to two years of service or more than three years. As an exception, the WNBA and NBA offer supermax contracts to players who stay in the same franchise for five to six years, or respectively seven to eight years. Of course, WNBA and NBA players also increase their income through endorsement deals, with 2024 first-round draft pick Caitlin Clark earning eight million dollars from sponsorships alone in her first year. In the meantime, Clark’s WNBA base salary that year, the amount was less than US$80,000.
How did the WNBA develop?
Two indicators for measuring the growth of the WNBA are attendance and viewership. The 2024 season saw the highest average attendance in the league since 1999, with Clark proving to be a major draw at home in Indiana and on the road. In fact, Clark was featured in the Highest Attendance WNBA Regular Season Game Ever in September 2024 against the Washington Mystics. However, the “Caitlin Clark Effect” was not the only cause of the growth of the WNBA, with average audience during the regular season constantly increasing between 2021 and 2023. At the same time, the audience for the 2024 finalwhich did not feature Clark, was the highest in 25 years.
Will WNBA growth translate into higher salaries?
In October 2024, the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) withdrew from the 2020 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). One of the main catalysts for this decision was reportedly the new broadcasting agreement that quadruples the WNBA revenue from media rights from 2026. Therefore, a new collective agreement will have to be drawn up, on which the league and the WNBPA will have to agree. However, with the NBA holding so much equity in the WNBA as WNBA team owners themselvesalong with frequent reports that the WNBA is operating at a loss despite increasing league exposure, it is unlikely the NBA will agree to give half of the league’s revenue to players just yet. Still, given the profile of upcoming stars like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, and the importance they play in the league’s growth, a full press release from the WNBPA is to be expected.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no responsibility for the completeness or accuracy of the information provided. Due to different update cycles, statistics may show more up-to-date data than that referenced in the text.
