During the 2025 season, Kelsey Mitchell of the Indiana Fever had the highest salary among players in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) with ******* U.S. dollars. In second place was Arike Ogunbowale with ******* U.S. dollars.
How much do WNBA rookies earn?
In the lead up to the 2025 WNBA season, one of the most pressing issues surrounding the league was the pay structure. The previous year had seen college basketball superstar Caitlin Clark enter the league as the overall number one pick. Despite being a major draw for the WNBA, Clark's rookie salary stood at under ****** U.S. dollars. In 2025, this increased marginally for the number one pick Paige Bueckers to ****** U.S. dollars.
How much are men’s National Basketball Association (NBA) players paid?
Compared to the top earners in the women’s league, the picture in the men's league is a little different. Some of the highest-paid male professional basketball players take home eye-watering amounts each year. Steph Curry of the Golden State Warrior sat at the top of the pile in 2024/25 season, earning ** million U.S. dollars for his appearances in the NBA, on top of a further *** million U.S. dollars' worth of endorsements. Overall, average annual salaries in the NBA are much higher than in the WNBA. On average, NBA players took home more than ** million U.S. dollars in 2024/25, while WNBA players earned roughly ******* U.S. dollars in 2025.
Profit from the additional features of your individual account
Currently, you are using a shared account. To use individual functions (e.g., mark statistics as favourites, set
statistic alerts) please log in with your personal account.
If you are an admin, please authenticate by logging in again.
Learn more about how Statista can support your business.
Spotrac. (May 23, 2025). Highest paid players in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) in the United States in 2025 (in 1,000 U.S. dollars) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved May 07, 2026, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1098893/wnba-highest-earners/
Spotrac. "Highest paid players in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) in the United States in 2025 (in 1,000 U.S. dollars)." Chart. May 23, 2025. Statista. Accessed May 07, 2026. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1098893/wnba-highest-earners/
Spotrac. (2025). Highest paid players in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) in the United States in 2025 (in 1,000 U.S. dollars). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: May 07, 2026. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1098893/wnba-highest-earners/
Spotrac. "Highest Paid Players in The Women’s National Basketball Association (Wnba) in The United States in 2025 (in 1,000 U.S. Dollars)." Statista, Statista Inc., 23 May 2025, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1098893/wnba-highest-earners/
Spotrac, Highest paid players in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) in the United States in 2025 (in 1,000 U.S. dollars) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1098893/wnba-highest-earners/ (last visited May 07, 2026)
Highest paid players in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) in the United States in 2025 (in 1,000 U.S. dollars) [Graph], Spotrac, May 23, 2025. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1098893/wnba-highest-earners/
