Top 10 Richest WNBA Players: Net Worth, Salary and More

Money in the WNBA isn’t just about what players earn from their contracts. The richest WNBA player in 2025 is likely stacking cash from shoe deals, overseas stints, and smart business moves. Over the years, the league has grown and so have the players’ bank accounts. While WNBA salaries still don’t match the NBA’s, that hasn’t stopped stars from getting creative with their income. From building brands to starring in ads, these women are doing more than just hooping. Some are even making more money off the court than on it. If you’ve ever wondered who’s really getting paid in the league, here’s a look at the top 10 richest WNBA players right now and how they made it happen.

Who is the Richest WNBA Player?

This article aims to look at the players with the highest net worth and their income sources off the court. According to Spotrac, Jackie Young was the highest-paid WNBA player as of 2025 with an annual salary of $252,450. Despite this, she does not even make it to the list, highlighting the significance of these endorsements and earnings beyond the sport. So who is the richest WNBA player? None other than Sue Bird. The 4-time champ and part-owner of the Seattle Storm.

List of 10 Richest WNBA Players

There have been multiple mega stars throughout the history of the WNBA, and among the controversies about the wage gap between men and women basketball athletes, here is a list of absolute ballers that have made sure their skills were appreciated in monetary terms as well:

WNBA players are known in the community to be underpaid for their art, and many in the field are still struggling financially. This being said, the level of the game has now improved so drastically that even the haters cannot help but acknowledge the greatness of these ladies. Players like Caitlin Clark and the new upcoming rising star of the 2025 April draft, Paige Bueckers, have made new waves in terms of hype and overall growth of the league with sheer numbers. Let's have a look at the top players throughout the history of the league in terms of making cheddar.

#10: Sheryl Swoopes ($300K)

Sheryl Swoopes is an American former professional basketball player who has a net worth of $300 thousand. Sheryl Swoopes was the first person signed to play in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), and she was named WNBA MVP three times. She has also taken up the role of a coach in the later years of her career. Sheryl also starred in the 1995 instructional video "Swoopes on Hoops" and voiced herself in 2019's “The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part”. Unfortunately, Sheryl Swoopes filed for bankruptcy in 2004 as a result of mismanaging her money, and bankruptcy records revealed that she owed more than $700,000 at the time, including $275,000 to the IRS.

#9: Angel Reese ($1.5 Million)

Angel Reese is a star forward for the WNBA’s Chicago Sky, and she's got the budding net worth to prove it. Her WNBA salary is only a small fraction of her wealth. Reese signed a three-year rookie deal in 2024 under the standard WNBA contract structure for first-round picks. Her base salary in her rookie season (2024) is $73,439. In 2025, that figure bumps up slightly to $74,909. By 2026, she’s set to earn $82,399, bringing her total guaranteed earnings over the first three years to $230,747. The final year of the deal, which falls in 2027, is structured as a player option. That means Reese will have the choice to either stay with her current team for a fourth year or decline the option and enter free agency early, depending on how she sees her value in the market or her role with the team at that point.
The LSU alumna had some corrections to make after hearing claims about her net worth. While speaking as a guest at ComplexCon in Las Vegas, Reese was interviewed by host Speedy Morman, who brought up the WNBA star's financial accomplishments since she was drafted by the Chicago Sky. Morman mentioned Reese's estimated $2 million net worth, which she quickly corrected, according to Sports Illustrated. With a slew of lucrative deals with big brands like Reebok and McDonald’s, the young hooper is out to build an empire. While there’s been widespread speculation about her net worth, Reese wasn’t shy about setting the record straight about her earnings when the occasion arose. Reese, with her business and financial acumen, will soon turn to be one of the richest WNBA players in the sporting world.

#8: Cynthia Cooper ($2 Million)

Cynthia Cooper is an American basketball coach and former professional basketball player who has a net worth of $2 million. She is best known for being one of the best women's basketball players of all time. She was a 5'10" point guard and shooting guard who played at Locke High School. She is a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame. She has also dabbled as a coach with the Phoenix Mercury, Prairie View A&M, UNC Wilmington, Texas Southern, and USC, and was named CAA Coach of the Year in 2010. Cooper also won a gold medal with USA Basketball in 1987. She is a certified “OG” in the world of WNBA hoops.

When the WNBA tipped off its first season in 1997, Cynthia Cooper wasted no time making history. She led the league in scoring and swept both the regular season and Finals MVP honors, setting the tone for her dominance. Just a few years later, in 2000, she reached another milestone—this time financially. Cooper became the highest-paid player in the league, pulling in a base salary of $75,798. While that figure might seem modest by today’s standards, it marked a major benchmark for the WNBA at the time. Cooper’s early success didn’t just show up on the scoreboard—it also helped raise the bar for how stars in the league could be valued.

#7: Caitlin Clark ($5 Million)

Caitlin Clark, a rising star in women’s basketball, has made waves with her impressive performances and record-breaking achievements. Naturally, fans are curious to know how much money she makes. Clark is a professional basketball player for the WNBA’s Indiana Fever. She earns money through her WNBA salary, endorsement deals, and various brand partnerships. She’s the NCAA Division I all-time leading scorer across both men’s and women’s basketball. Caitlin is also making history as the first female athlete to launch her own collection with Wilson Sporting Goods, showcasing her growing influence in the sports world. While her earnings are impressive, they pale in comparison to those of NBA stars like Stephen Curry, who rakes in around $52 million annually.

Clark’s rookie contract in the WNBA may be locked in, but the numbers don’t exactly reflect her impact. In 2024, at age 22, Clark earned $76,535 in guaranteed salary. That amount bumps up slightly to $78,066 in 2025, followed by $85,873 in 2026—bringing her total projected earnings over three seasons to just $240,474. For someone who’s already transformed the WNBA’s visibility, ticket sales, and ratings in just her rookie year, this contract is shockingly modest.

#6: Breanna Stewart ($5 Million)

Breanna Stewart ranks fourth on the list with a gross net worth of $5 million. She signed a multi-year endorsement deal with Nike even before starting her WNBA career. In 2021, just 5 years after the Nike deal, she switched and became a signature athlete with Puma. Puma launched her first signature shoe, Stewie1, in 2022. It was just the start of a whole collection of shoes dedicated to her. Breanna also made a good fortune from the sport itself. She was drafted as the 1st overall pick in 2016 and was also the WNBA 2016 Rookie of the Year. According to reports, Stewart has recently extended her contract with the New York Liberty below the regular 2024 maximum salary of $208,219. Breanna Stewart’s 2025 WNBA salary reflects her elite status in the league. At 30 years old, Stewart is earning $208,400 for the season, and unlike many younger players, her contract is protected, meaning she’s guaranteed that full amount, regardless of performance or injury.
That’s a major contrast to rookie deals like Caitlin Clark’s, which are both significantly lower and unprotected. Stewart’s salary isn’t just about her stats; it’s about her resume. She’s a former MVP, a two-time WNBA champion, and a perennial All-Star. In a league where only a handful of players make over $200,000 annually, Stewart sits near the very top. Breanna also competed in the 2016, 2020, and 2024 Olympics and won a total of 3 gold medals, amounting to the relevant monetary awards as well. US gold medalists were awarded $38,000 per medal, as per CNBC. Her huge financial successes are due to her shrewd business deals and WNBA contracts.

#5: Brittney Griner ($5 Million)

Brittney Griner has an estimated net worth of $5 million. During her ten-year tenure, she has accumulated a total of about $1.3 million in WNBA earnings as per Spotrac. Brittney Griner is earning $214,466 in 2025, placing her among the highest-paid players in the WNBA. At 34 years old, she’s on a protected deal, so that salary is fully guaranteed, regardless of injury or playing time. That level of contract security reflects her impact both on and off the court. Griner's resume backs up every dollar: she's an eight-time All-Star, a WNBA champion, and one of the most dominant centers the league has ever seen.

Griner has also signed an exclusive deal with Disney, ESPN, and ABC for series and documentary rights. She expanded her horizons by launching her own brand, BG32, which offers stylish clothing and accessories. Investment in Real Estate has also been a comfortable source of income for her. According to Capitalism.com, her 4000 square feet luxury home in Houston, Texas, was bought by Zoe Kravitz for a price of $4 million. Griner has a keen interest in luxury cars, illustrated by her wide array of car collections. Her Collection includes the Audi E Tron, Range Rover, Jeep Wrangler, etc.

#4: Lisa Leslie ($7 Million)

Lisa Leslie is a WNBA Hall of Famer, known for her dominance as a center and for being the first player to dunk in a WNBA game. Leslie inked several deals with the Los Angeles Sparks over her legendary WNBA run. Back in 2001, she locked in a four-year contract at the league’s then-maximum salary of $85,000 per season. That number gradually grew thanks to collective bargaining updates. By 2006, Leslie’s paycheck rose to the new max of $91,000—still modest by today’s standards but top-tier at the time. Then in 2007, the Sparks re-signed her once again on a multi-year extension, securing the face of their franchise for the long haul.
Off the court, Leslie's star power translated into lucrative endorsement deals with major brands, making her one of the WNBA's first true marketing superstars. She served as a prominent Nike spokeswoman (even launching her own Nike Air Total 9 signature shoe in 1998) and capitalized on her championship success with endorsements like Sony PlayStation 2, ESPN, Kraft Foods, and Gatorade (for which she filmed national TV commercials). By 2003, her agent noted that Leslie was "making well into the seven figures now" from endorsements – a rare income level for a female team-sport athlete at the time. She currently coaches the Triplets team in the men's BIG3 league, where she and Nancy Lieberman are the only female head coaches of professional men's basketball teams. She is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics, including Basketball, College, and Sports Motivation.

#3: Diana Taurasi ($7 Million)

Diana Taurasi, also known as “White Mamba,” charts third on the list. Diana Taurasi, one of the most iconic names in women’s basketball, has racked up serious earnings over her extended WNBA career, making her a regular in the top 10 richest WNBA players list. Starting in 2017 at age 34, Taurasi earned $113,500 and saw steady increases through the 2020 season, topping out at $119,500. From 2021 onward, she entered protected contract territory. Her salary jumped to $221,450 and kept rising, hitting $234,936 by 2023 and 2024. That brought her WNBA career cash total to nearly $1.4 million.
Though she’s currently the third-richest WNBA player, her net worth stretches far beyond just league pay, thanks to endorsements, overseas stints, and Olympic bonuses. For anyone asking who the richest WNBA player is, Taurasi’s not No. 1, but she’s definitely in the conversation. There is not much information about her endorsements in the public domain, but she has been seen promoting various brands on her social media. These include TwelveBooks, Bodyarmor, Cox Communications, Nike, and JBL. Approximating $7 million of net worth, Taurasi is expected to have enjoyed an appropriate basketball career and resourceful business undertakings. She also earned a huge lump of her salary when she played overseas in Russia. It is speculated that Diana earned more than $1 million for taking part in a single season in Russia. According to Realtor.com, one of her houses is in Manhattan Beach and is valued at about $3.3 million.

#2: Candace Parker ($8.1 Million)

Candace Parker is among the most stylish and influential WNBA players. Parker has accumulated a whopping $8.1 million in net worth during her career. Parker’s legendary WNBA career didn’t just cement her legacy on the court, it helped her secure a top spot among the top 10 richest WNBA players. Kicking things off in 2016 at age 30, Parker earned $111,500 and steadily climbed with each season. By 2020, her annual salary hit $119,500. In 2021, she locked in a protected contract worth $190,000, followed by $195,000 in 2022. In her final season in 2023, she earned $100,000 in an unprotected deal, bringing her total career WNBA earnings to just over $1.06 million.
While that number might not scream “wealth,” Parker’s off-court success fills the gap. Between broadcasting, investments, and endorsement deals, she’s now the second-richest WNBA player. Her name has been on the list of the Richest WNBA players for quite some time now. Candace has been a part of a wide variety of endorsement deals, namely Adidas, Gatorade, Subway, and NBA2K. Notably, Parker was the first woman on the cover of NBA2K. In an exclusive she gave to AP News, she commented, “Representation matters, so this is a special moment of progress for the sport and the series. To be part of this historic cover is a testament to the growth and rising popularity of the women’s game, and I’m proud to be the first female cover athlete to be the face of NBA 2K.”. Her inspirational journey has also encouraged many female athletes to believe in themselves and embark on their basketball journey.

#1: Sue Bird ($10 Million)

Sue Bird is number 1 on the list of richest WNBA players with a net worth ranging between $8 million to $10 million. Sue Bird wrapped up her iconic WNBA career with total earnings of $966,591, a figure that may seem modest compared to her legendary status. Starting in 2016 at age 35, Bird earned $111,500 and continued with steady increases, reaching $117,500 by 2019. That season, however, she was sidelined due to injury but still earned her full salary. In 2020, her pay jumped to $215,000—one of the highest figures of her career. She signed protected contracts in 2021 and 2022, earning $221,450 and $72,141 respectively before retiring. Despite being one of the most recognizable names in women’s basketball, Sue Bird’s on-court earnings don't reflect her full financial picture.
She is a part of the ownership group of the Seattle Storm. Her Sports media brand TOGETHXR also clocked a profit of $3 million in the recent year as per Awful Announcing. Bird started attracting endorsements in a very early stage of her career. Her endorsement deals include: Nike, State Farm, Symetra, American Express, Corona, and CarMax. Sue earned a total of $2.4 million during her time in the WNBA, placing her on the list of the most well-paid athletes in WNBA history. The five-time Olympic gold medalist also has an exceptional real estate IQ. She has properties in Connecticut, LA, New York, and Israel. Bird has truly capitalized on her long-stretching career in the WNBA.