The hardwood hums with excitement as the WNBA tips off for 2024, and this season, the stakes are higher than ever.
Beyond dazzling dunks and buzzer-beaters, a financial revolution is brewing.
Three players, Arike Ogunbowale, Kahleah Copper, and Jewell Loyd break the $240,000 barrier, shattering salary records and paving the way for a brighter future for women's basketball.
Dive into the world of these trailblazers, explore the evolving landscape of WNBA contracts, and discover why 2024 might just be the year female athletes rewrite the playbook for financial empowerment. The compilation is derived from the Spotrac base salary ranking.
1. Arike Ogunbowale
- Base Salary: $241,984
- Contract: 3 years, $725,952 (Upcoming extension)
- Team: Dallas Wings | Guard
Arike Ogunbowale agreed to a four-year deal worth $220,235 with the Dallas Wings. This contract encompasses an average yearly salary of $55,059 for the 2019-20 season.
Nevertheless, the coming extension of her contract with the Wings is poised to elevate her to the pinnacle of the list of the WNBA's highest-earning players.
The details of her upcoming contract include a three-year deal valued at $750,000. As of the 2024 season, Ogunbowale's annual salary would amount to $241,984.
2. Kahleah Copper
- Base Salary: $241,984
- Contract: 2 years, $444,308
- Team: Washington Mystics | Shooting Guard
Kahleah Copper inked a two-year deal with the Chicago Sky worth $490,118, all of which is guaranteed.
This translates to an annual average salary of $245,059. For the 2024 season, Copper's base salary comes in at $241,984 with a corresponding cap hit of $241,984.
The 2021 WNBA champion is a three-time All-Star and was named WNBA Finals MVP during the Sky's title-winning season. During her 7-year WNBA career, Copper has played over 200 games averaging 10.0 PPG, 3.4 RBG and 1.2 APG.
3. Jewell Loyd
- Base Salary: $241,984
- Contract: 2 years, $491,016 (Upcoming Extension)
- Team: Seattle Storm | Point guard
Jewell Loyd, the Seattle Storm's star guard, ranks among the highest-paid WNBA players in 2024.
In February 2023, she inked a two-year, $463,030 contract extension, securing an average annual salary of $231,515. Similarly, her upcoming extension of a two-year agreement is estimated to have a value of approximately $491,016.
She's a five-time WNBA All-Star, the 2020 league MVP, and a two-time champion with the Storm. Her scoring prowess and playmaking ability make her a cornerstone for Seattle, justifying her top-tier earnings.
4. Diana Taurasi
- Base Salary: $234,936
- Contract: 2 years, $469,872
- Team: Phoenix Mercury | Point guard
Diana Taurasi inked a two-year deal worth $469,872 with the Phoenix Mercury, ensuring that the entire amount is guaranteed.
The contract comes with an average yearly salary of $234,936. For the 2024 season, Taurasi is set to receive a base salary matching the annual average of $234,936, contributing to a corresponding cap hit of the same amount.
In August of 2023, Taurasi achieved a milestone by becoming the first player in WNBA history to reach 10,000 career points.
5. Natasha Howard
- Base Salary: $234,350
- Contract: 4 years, $898,700
- Team: Dallas Wings | Power forward
Natasha Howard inked a four-year deal worth $898,700 with the New York Liberty, ensuring that the entire amount is guaranteed.
The yearly average salary amounts to $224,675. In 2024, Howard's base salary is set at $234,350, and this corresponds to her cap hit for the same year.
In 2021, the New York Liberty obtained Howard through a three-team trade deal. By January 2023, Howard had been traded to the Dallas Wings in another three-team deal.
6. Alyssa Thomas
- Base Salary: $218,000
- Contract: 4 years, $836,000
- Team: Connecticut Sun | Power forward
Alyssa Thomas signed a four-year contract with the Connecticut Sun valued at $836,000.
The agreement includes a guaranteed total of $836,000, with an average yearly salary of $209,000. In the 2024 season, Thomas is slated to earn a base salary of $218,000, which will also be the amount affecting her cap hit.
Among her many accolades, the 2023 WNBA rebounding champion, 2020 WNBA steals leader, 2023 All-WNBA First Team, and four All-Stars are significant ones.
7. Kelsey Mitchell
- Base Salary: $212,000
- Contract: 3 years, $618,000 (Projected)
- Team: Indiana Fever | Point Guard
Kelsey Mitchell is expected to sign a new contract, a 3-year / $618,000 agreement with the Indiana Fever, including an annual average salary of $212,000.
The 2023 WNBA All-Star saw an exponential surge in her earnings thanks to her unparalleled performance in the past two seasons. She is presently under a contract lasting four years, valued at $232,178, which concluded in 2022.
Beginning in the 2023-24 period, Mitchell is anticipated to earn $206,000, with a subsequent increase to $212,000 in the following year.
8. Napheesa Collier
- Base Salary: $208,219
- Contract: 3 years, $552,516
- Team: Minnesota Lynx | Power Forward
Napheesa Collier sealed a three-year deal worth $552,516 with the Minnesota Lynx, featuring an average yearly income of $184,172.
For the year 2024, Collier is set to receive a base salary of $208,219, with a corresponding cap hit of the same amount.
In the 2019 WNBA draft, Collier was chosen as the 6th overall pick by the Minnesota Lynx, and her initial annual earnings amounted to $55,059, continuing until 2022. She is also a three-time WNBA All-Star (2019, 2021, 2023).
9. Marina Mabrey
- Base Salary: $208,000
- Contract: 3 years, $620,000
- Team: Chicago Sky | Shooting guard
Marina Mabrey inked a lucrative three-year deal worth $620,000 with the Chicago Sky in February 2023, ensuring the entire sum as guaranteed compensation.
Mabrey was involved in a four-team trade that included the New York Liberty, Phoenix Mercury, Dallas Wings, and Chicago Sky, ultimately leading to her joining the Sky.
The contract breaks down to an annual average salary of $206,667. Specifically, for the year 2024, Mabrey is set to receive a base salary of $208,000, and this amount will also be reflected as her cap hit for the same period.
10. Kayla McBride
- Base Salary: $208,000
- Contract: 2 years, $413,000 (Upcoming extension)
- Team: Minnesota Lynx | Shooting guard
Kayla McBride, in 2019, signed a three-year contract with the Minnesota Lynx, totaling $588,801, with an annual average salary of $196,267.
Looking ahead, there is an upcoming contract extension for Kayla McBride, covering two years and totaling $413,000, with an average salary of $206,500
In the 2024-25 season, at the age of 32, McBride's base salary will be $208,000, with a corresponding cap hit of $208,000. There is no dead cap mentioned for this season.
11. Erica Wheeler
- Base Salary: $202,154
- Contract: 2 years, $444,308
- Team: Indiana Fever | Point guard
Erica Wheeler inked a two-year deal worth $444,308 with the Indiana Fever, ensuring $404,308 in guaranteed compensation.
Her yearly average salary amounts to $222,154. For the 2024 season, Wheeler is slated to receive a base salary of $202,154, with a corresponding cap hit of the same amount.
Before the start of the 2021 WNBA season, Wheeler joined the Los Angeles Sparks and then joined the Atlanta Dream before ultimately moving to Indiana in 2023. Her $242,154 earnings in 2023 was the highest in the league that year.
12. Sabrina Ionescu
- Base Salary: $202,000
- Contract: 2 years, $410,060
- Team: New York Liberty | Point guard
Sabrina Ionescu recently signed a lucrative two-year contract with the New York Liberty, securing an impressive guaranteed amount of $410,060.
This ensures financial stability for the young athlete as she embarks on this exciting new chapter. Her annual average salary is set at a commendable $205,030, reflecting her rising status in the world of professional basketball.
In particular, her base salary for 2024 stands at $202,000, aligning closely with her cap hit for that year.
