Top 5 Highest-Paid WNBA Players of 2024

The year of Caitlin Clark and A’ja Wilson has been remarkable. Whether it’s Clark’s logo threes or Wilson’s creativity in the post, the WNBA Rookie of the Year and the MVP for 2024 were undoubtedly the stars of the year. Surprisingly, despite their large fan base and extraordinary talent, they are not among the highest-paid players in the league. So, who are the highest-paid players?

When Angel Reese mentioned that she didn’t even know her league salary and that it didn’t cover her rent, it sparked a renewed conversation about women athletes’ salaries. While rookies have a salary cap and Reese received $73,439 in 2024, CC got $76,535, and Wilson received $200,000. However, when looking only at league salaries, which W players do not split 50-50 with their franchises but receive about 10% of their team’s revenue on average, these three players are not among the top 5 earners.

Diana Taurasi, Arike Ogunbowale, Kahleah Copper

While reports of NBA players earning up to 60 times more than WNBA players may be exaggerated, it’s clear that there is a perception that W players are underpaid. However, if the top 5 earners were to be selected, Diana Taurasi of the Phoenix Mercury would be No. 5 with a base salary of $234,936 in 2024. Taurasi, a three-time WNBA champion, one-time league MVP, two-time WNBA Finals MVP, and 10-time All-Star, shows no signs of retiring anytime soon.

Arike Ogunbowale of the Dallas Wings holds the No. 4 spot with a base salary of $241,984. A three-time All-Star and former Notre Dame standout, Ogunbowale was the league’s leading scorer in the 2020 season with an average of 22.8 points per game.

The third position goes to Kahleah Copper, Taurasi’s teammate on the Mercury. Coming to the team in 2024 after successful stints with the Sky and Mystics, Copper, an Olympic gold medalist and the 2021 WNBA Finals MVP, earns a base salary of $245,059. Interestingly, the Mercury rank eighth in team-wise earnings but have two of the top 5 earners on their roster.

Jackie Young and Jewell Loyd set the bar high

Caitlin Clark shares the title for the highest-paid rookie in 2024 with Cameron Brink, Kamilla Cardoso, and Rickea Jackson. However, Clark’s off-the-court earnings place her 13th on Forbes’ World’s Highest-Paid Female Athletes list this year, with around $8 million. Wilson, on the other hand, does not appear on the list. Among WNBA players, the second highest earner in league salary is Jewell Loyd of the Seattle Storm, with a base salary of $245,508.

Known as the “Gold Mamba”, Loyd is a former Rookie of the Year and two-time Olympic gold medalist. A former top overall draft pick, Loyd has two WNBA championships and was the scoring leader in 2023. Her salary is a result of an extension she signed with the Storm.

The top earner in the league plays for the Las Vegas Aces but is not A’ja Wilson. It is actually Jackie Young, with the highest base salary of $252,450. The 27-year-old, the first overall pick in 2019 for Las Vegas, has been pivotal in their back-to-back WNBA championships. Her salary reflects a two-year extension with the Aces.

With increasing viewership and a new media rights agreement between the NBA and WNBA, the pay gap between the two leagues should narrow. This hot topic will only gain more attention as women’s sports continue to grow in popularity.