The $252,450 Question: Who Is The WNBA's Highest Paid Player In 2025?
The landscape of WNBA salaries continues to evolve rapidly, with the 2025 season setting new benchmarks for player compensation under the current Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). As of today, December 19, 2025, the title of the WNBA’s highest-paid player belongs to a dynamic guard from the reigning champion Las Vegas Aces, a testament to her elite two-way play and the team’s commitment to retaining top talent. This article breaks down the financial hierarchy of the league, revealing the top earners and explaining the structure—including the coveted 'Supermax' deal—that governs player pay.
The conversation around WNBA salaries is more relevant than ever, especially with the influx of generational talent like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, whose rookie contracts, while substantial for first-year players, still pale in comparison to the veteran maximums. Understanding who is earning the most requires a deep dive into the league's hard salary cap and the strategic use of maximum and supermax contracts by franchises across the league.
The Definitive WNBA Highest Paid Player for the 2025 Season
The distinction of the WNBA’s single highest-paid player for the 2025 season is held by Las Vegas Aces guard Jackie Young. Her contract, structured to maximize her annual earnings, slightly edges out the rest of the league’s elite players who are on the standard Supermax contract. This financial leadership highlights her value as a cornerstone player for the Aces dynasty.
Jackie Young: Highest Paid WNBA Player 2025 Profile
- Player: Jackie Young
- Team: Las Vegas Aces
- Position: Guard
- Annual Base Salary (2025): $252,450
- Contract Details: Signed a contract extension that placed her at the very top of the salary structure, surpassing the standard Supermax value for the year.
- Key Achievements: Two-time WNBA Champion, WNBA All-Star, WNBA Most Improved Player.
Young’s salary of $252,450 is a slight premium over the base Supermax figure, illustrating how teams can structure deals to give their most valuable players a marginal edge in compensation. This figure is the highest base salary for the 2025 season, making her the league's top earner in terms of annual pay.
Top 10 Highest Paid WNBA Players and Supermax Contracts (2025)
The vast majority of the WNBA's top earners are clustered around the maximum and Supermax salary thresholds, which is a key feature of the league's hard salary cap system. The Supermax contract is reserved for players who meet specific criteria, such as years of service and achieving certain performance metrics (like All-WNBA or MVP awards). The 2025 Supermax base salary is set just under the $250,000 mark for most eligible players.
Here is a comprehensive breakdown of the WNBA's highest-paid players for the 2025 season, ranked by base salary:
| Rank | Player (Team) | Position | 2025 Base Salary | Contract Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jackie Young (Las Vegas Aces) | Guard | $252,450 | Above Supermax |
| 2 | Kelsey Mitchell (Indiana Fever) | Guard | $249,244 | Supermax |
| 3 | Jewell Loyd (Seattle Storm) | Guard | $249,032 | Supermax |
| 4 | Arike Ogunbowale (Dallas Wings) | Guard | $249,032 | Supermax |
| 5 | Kahleah Copper (Phoenix Mercury) | Guard/Forward | $248,134 | Max/Supermax Tier |
| 6 | Sabrina Ionescu (New York Liberty) | Guard | ~$245,000 (Estimate) | Max Contract |
| 7 | Alyssa Thomas (Connecticut Sun) | Forward | ~$245,000 (Estimate) | Max Contract |
| 8 | Satou Sabally (New York Liberty) | Forward | ~$245,000 (Estimate) | Max Contract |
| 9 | Natasha Cloud (Phoenix Mercury) | Guard | ~$240,000 (Estimate) | Max Contract |
| 10 | DeWanna Bonner (Connecticut Sun) | Forward | ~$240,000 (Estimate) | Max Contract |
Other elite players who command maximum or near-maximum salaries, often referred to as Supermax players, include two-time MVP A'ja Wilson, MVP Breanna Stewart, Diana Taurasi, Elena Delle Donne, Nneka Ogwumike, Skylar Diggins-Smith, and Brittney Griner. These players are the faces of the league, and their salaries reflect the highest possible compensation under the current WNBA CBA.
Understanding the WNBA's Salary Structure and the Supermax Deal
To fully appreciate the salaries of the WNBA's highest earners, it is crucial to understand the economic framework of the league. Unlike the NBA, which has a soft salary cap, the WNBA operates under a strict hard salary cap.
The 2025 WNBA Salary Cap
The WNBA salary cap for the 2025 season is set at $1,507,100 per team. This figure is divided among a roster of 11 or 12 players, meaning that the top salaries consume a significant portion of a team's total budget. This hard cap necessitates difficult decisions for general managers when constructing their rosters, often leading to talented veteran players earning far less than their market value or playing overseas during the offseason to supplement their income.
The Supermax Contract Explained
The Supermax contract, officially known as the "Designated Veteran Player" exception, was introduced in the 2020 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) to allow teams to pay their most decorated players more than the standard maximum salary. The goal was to incentivize star players to remain with the team that drafted them or the team that holds their Bird Rights.
- Supermax Criteria: A player must have at least eight years of service and meet one of the following criteria: win MVP, be named to the All-WNBA First or Second Team, or be named Defensive Player of the Year.
- Supermax Value: For the 2025 season, the Supermax base salary is roughly $249,244. This is the ceiling for most elite players, with only slight variations (like Jackie Young's contract) pushing the number higher.
The Supermax is the reason why players like Kelsey Mitchell, Jewell Loyd, and Arike Ogunbowale all have salaries clustered at the top of the league. They are the true Supermax contract holders, representing the league's highest tier of pay before other financial considerations are factored in.
The Future of WNBA Player Compensation: A $1 Million Salary?
While the current salaries are the highest in league history, the conversation about WNBA pay equity is far from over. Compared to the NBA, where the maximum salary for a star player can exceed $50 million, the WNBA’s $250,000 maximum is a stark reminder of the financial gap in professional sports.
However, the future is promising. Recent reports suggest that the league is actively negotiating a new CBA that could dramatically increase player earnings. Proposals have included a new Supermax salary that could push a player's guaranteed compensation near $1,000,000 (one million dollars), with the potential to climb even higher with revenue sharing.
- Projected Future Max: A guaranteed maximum salary of $1 million is reportedly on the table for the 2026 season and beyond.
- Veteran Minimum: The veteran minimum salary is also projected to see a significant increase, potentially reaching around $300,000.
These massive increases would be a game-changer, not only for the league's top-tier players like A'ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, and Sabrina Ionescu but also for mid-tier veterans. The current financial constraints often force players to seek lucrative overseas contracts, leading to the controversial "prioritization" clause that mandates WNBA attendance over international play.
In conclusion, while Jackie Young currently holds the title of the WNBA's highest-paid player for the 2025 season with her $252,450 salary, her reign at the top of the pay scale may be short-lived. The league is on the cusp of a major financial transformation, with the potential for multiple players to earn seven-figure salaries in the very near future, forever changing the professional landscape for female basketball stars.
Detail Author:
- Name : Mr. Max Barrows I
- Username : josefa02
- Email : block.garry@gmail.com
- Birthdate : 1990-05-27
- Address : 60639 Ceasar Walks New Chelsie, ME 62657-7299
- Phone : +1.747.415.3442
- Company : Monahan-Harber
- Job : Etcher
- Bio : Cum unde sint dolorum possimus. Rerum placeat sed omnis quae qui in. Consequatur ut vel accusamus et ab ad. Dolorem aut fugit earum quod in molestias ea.
Socials
facebook:
- url : https://facebook.com/beaulah_sauer
- username : beaulah_sauer
- bio : Perspiciatis sed et laborum nobis. Saepe esse vel officiis in eum.
- followers : 3286
- following : 85
linkedin:
- url : https://linkedin.com/in/bsauer
- username : bsauer
- bio : Minima in aut quia quia nihil perferendis.
- followers : 4576
- following : 765
instagram:
- url : https://instagram.com/sauerb
- username : sauerb
- bio : Commodi nihil itaque alias dolore sed quis. Quas aut dolorum rem voluptatibus et dolorem non.
- followers : 3085
- following : 115
twitter:
- url : https://twitter.com/bsauer
- username : bsauer
- bio : Enim inventore minus cum omnis dolorem. Quo laudantium minus eos temporibus accusantium eius inventore. Occaecati ab omnis dolor nemo.
- followers : 2317
- following : 1451
tiktok:
- url : https://tiktok.com/@sauerb
- username : sauerb
- bio : Sed quas in consequatur omnis adipisci. Eius pariatur veniam vel placeat harum.
- followers : 715
- following : 16
