Today we’re going to reveal the lowest paid WNBA players this year, as part three of our WNBA salary series. Our hope is that the league will continue working hard to ensure even the least paid players make more every year.
Deloitte predicts elite women’s sport revenues could top almost a billion dollars in a year. “Women’s sports events have demonstrated their mass-market appeal, and thus monetary potential, on multiple occasions…In sports where men’s and women’s games have relatively equal marketing support, their commercial impact has been roughly equivalent.” And we’d like to see as much of that money as possible go into our players’ pockets, especially the least paid ones.
Just to recap, we believe in order to be fairly compensated, you need to know what to ask for. And while agents negotiate on players’ behalves, knowing your own worth ensures you get more of the type of monetary gain you deserve. That’s why, for office professionals for example, sites that provide pay transparency like Glassdoor have been so clutch in addressing pay gaps. Basically, knowledge is power! So today, we reveal some of the lowest paid WNBA players this year.
WNBA rookies typically earn the least money as they are the newest to the league. So the lowest paid WNBA players in 2023 are mostly the new rookies, each of whom will potentially earn $62,285. They’re followed by the players with zero to two-years of experience.
Interestingly, the base salary for the same pick and years of experience increases by 3% year over year. Meaning 2023’s first overall pick will make 3% more in her first year than Rhyne Howard made in 2022.
Rookie base salaries are not guaranteed, which means players are just paid when they’re actually on the roster, according to the CBA. The CBA also actually allows for rookie scale contracts to fall below the league minimum, in a few select situations (such as hardship contracts).
Here’s a look at the players making the zero to two-year minimum of $62,285 in 2023. This will change once the WNBA Draft happens and training camp is over. Keep in mind at the other end of the spectrum are the highest paid WNBA players making the supermax of $234,936 in 2023.
Considering how hard these ladies work year-round, and despite the immense strides they’ve made in salary advancement (thanks Nneka and the CBA crew!), there’s still a long road ahead.
So be sure to share your favorite WNBA news and players with everyone you know. And encourage your friends and family to watch games with you. You can be a part of the change. A rising tide lifts all boats as they say!
Up next, learn about the Athletes Unlimited basketball salary.
