How much money do WNBA players make?

The 2023 WNBA season is set to begin on Friday and before the new campaign tips off, it’s worth taking a look at glance at the salaries around the league.

Entering the 2023 season, Dallas Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale, Seattle Storm guard Jewel Lloyd, and Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi will make the most money in base salary by earning $234,936 this year. All three of these stars are playing on sumermax deals, making the most money possible under the WNBA’s current CBA.

Meanwhile, the highest paid player in terms of average contract salary is Las Vegas Aces guard Jackie Young. Prior to last season, Young signed a two-year contract extension worth $252,450 annually. That investment immediately paid dividends for the organization as she won Most Improved Player and helped the team win the WNBA title.

Under the league’s current collective bargaining agreement, the rookie scale sets the base salary for the top four picks at $74,305. That means Indiana Fever forward Aliyah Boston, Minnesota Lynx guard Diamond Miller, and Dallas Wings forward Maddy Siegrist are set to make that this season as the top three picks from the 2023 WNBA Draft. No. 4 pick Stephanie Soares was not listed on the Wings’ final roster as she is still recovering from an ACL injury.

While the WNBA’s salaries and revenue sharing have dramatically increased in recent years, it is still minuscule compared to their counterparts in the NBA. According to Queen Ballers, the average WNBA salary as of April 2, 2023, was $147,745. Meanwhile, the average NBA salary for the 2022-23 season was roughly $6.6 million per Basketball Reference.

Here’s a look at the top-10 base and annual average salaries in the WNBA for this season and how they’ve changed compared to last year.

Top-10 WNBA salaries 2023 (base salary)

1. Arike Ogunbowale, DAL — $234,936
2. Jewell Loyd, SEA — $234,936
3. Diana Taurasi, PHO — $234,936
4. DeWanna Bonner, CON — $234,350
5. Skylar Diggins-Smith, PHO — $234,350
6. Elena Della Donne, WAS — $234,350
7. Natasha Howard, DAL — $227,900
8. Alyssa Thomas, CON — $212,000
9. Jonquel Jones, NY — $211,150
10. Brionna Jones, CON — $208,000

Top-10 WNBA salaries 2023 (annual average)

1. Jackie Young, LV — $252,450
2. Arike Ogunbowale, DAL — $241,984
3. Diana Taurasi, PHO — $234,936
4. Jewell Loyd, SEA — $231,515
5. DeWanna Bonner, CON — $224,870
6. Skylar Diggins-Smith, PHO — $224,870
7. DeWanna Bonner, CON — $224,870
8. Natasha Howard, DAL — $224,675
9. Alyssa Thomas, CON — $209,000
10. Jonquel Jones, NY — $208,075

Top-10 WNBA salaries 2022 (base salary)

1. Diana Taurasi, PHO — $228,094
2. Jewell Loyd, SEA — $228,094
3. Breanna Stewart, SEA — $228,094
4. Skylar Diggins-Smith, PHO — $227,900
5. Brittney Griner, PHO — $227,900
6. Elena Della Donne, WAS — $227,900
7. DeWanna Bonner, CON — $227,900
8. Natasha Howard, NY — $221,450
9. Tiffany Hayes, ATL — $215,000
10. Chelsea Gray, LV — $206,267

Top-10 WNBA salaries 2022 (annual average)

1. Jackie Young, LV — $252,450
2. Jewell Loyd, SEA — $231,515
3. Breanna Stewart, SEA — $228,094
4. Skylar Diggins-Smith, PHO — $224,870
5. Elena Della Donne, WAS — $224,870
6. DeWanna Bonner, CON — $224,870
7. Diana Taurasi, PHO — $224,772
8. Natasha Howard, NY — $224,675
9. Brittney Griner, PHO — $221,515
10. Tiffany Hayes, ATL — $215,000