The 2023 WNBA season finally came to an end earlier this week as the Las Vegas Aces were crowned champions for the second time in a row. Having defeated the NY Liberty in Game 4 of the Finals, the Vegas side became only the third team in WNBA history to win back-to-back titles, only behind the LA Sparks and the legendary Houston Comets. While the Aces were able to dispatch the Liberty with a game to spare, this year’s finals happened to be one of the most anticipated matchups in recent history with the rivalry between A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart being focal point of the Final. The two stars were pivotal during the regular season and led their team to the Finals in spectacular fashion as both sides registered 30+ wins during the inaugural 40 game season.

Despite having one of the most anticipated matchups in recent years and breaking attendance records, the WNBA continues to face constant criticism from fans and players alike as they struggle to generate enough funds when compared to their male counterparts. While the disparity still looms large over the sport, there have been signs of improvement this season as an injection of cash from investors and the news of an expansion team has breathed new life into the WNBA. The viewership also saw a 72% increase this season and while the disparity in pay still remains it won’t be long before the WNBA is able to financially compete with the NBA. Although that may be the case someday soon the fact of the matter is that the polarity between the two is quite evident even today. With NBA champions the Denver Nuggets being paid $4.7 million after their maiden title win this year, many have started to ponder on how much the Aces received after their WNBA glory.

How much did A’ja Wilson and Co. win after their WNBA glory?

After A’ja Wilson and the Aces achieved the franchise’s first ever back-to-back title earlier this week, many fans have been pondering about the cash prize received by the team and how it compares to the NBA.

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Now before we can compare the prize received by the winners of each league, we first have to understand how the money is distributed. While many believe that the winners get a complete cash prize for lifting the title the statement in reality couldn’t be further from the truth.

Although there is a collective pool of money that is designated for the champions, the money in the pool is heavily distributed amongst the playoffs team as it is a pool of funds that is made up of playoff ticket sales. This means that every team that participates in the payoffs gets a small share of the final prize but the further a team advances the more money they get. Bearing that in mind the Atlanta Dream, Washington Mystics, Minnesota Lynx and the Chicago Sky who were all eliminated in the first round received $1,616 per player meaning the 4 teams took $77,568 out of the playoff pool with the remaining funds being distributed again between the 2 teams that lost in the semifinals. The two teams this year were the Connecticut Suns and the Dallas Wings and the two sides received $3,123 per player meaning the two teams shared a total of $74,952.

While teams that made it to the playoffs took home a sum of $152,520, the remaining amount is divided amongst the runners up and the winners with the second-place finishers receiving $7,746 per player meaning they received a total of $92,952 from the cash pool. For the winners each player is given a sum of $20,0852 which is the most the CBA can offer after they increased the prize money from a measly $11,356 per player to the current figure in 2020. The sum offered to each finalist then adds up to $249,900 meaning the total cash pool offered by the WNBA is $500,000 which is similar to the prize offered to the winners of the Commissioners Cup. Apart from the $500,000 cash prize the Finals MVP is also designated a sum of $15,450 which was given to A’ja Wilson this year after she took home the award after a scintillating Finals display.

Enriching WNBA History With Never Done Before Achievement, Finals MVP A’ja Wilson Makes Back-to-Back Titles More Special

Compared to the NBA’s prize pool of $27 million the prize offered in the WNBA is quite disproportionate but given that it is still 30 years apart from its male counterparts it won’t be long before the figure reaches the million mark.

What is the playoff pool for the NBA and cash prize for the champions?

The player playoff pool in the NBA has a total sum of $27 million which is then divided amongst NBA teams based on their performances during the regular season and playoffs.

Unlike the WNBA, the pool prize in the NBA is distributed amongst teams having the best record in their respective conferences with teams as far as sixth place getting a small share of the pool prize. According to reports the best record holder in each conference is given $680,603 respectively with the number dwindling down to $182,391 each for the sixth best record while a sum of $777,840 is also offered to the team with the best overall record in the regular season.

The figure then rises drastically during the playoffs as teams eliminated in the first round get paid $402,479 each while those who reach the conference semifinals are given a sum of $478,902. This figure then rises up to $791,398 each for the teams in the conference finals while the runners up and the winners are paid $3,164,731 and $4,775,940 respectively. 2023 NBA champions the Denver Nuggets received the $4.7 million this season but were also given the sum for the best overall record and the best record in the Western conference meaning they received a total of $7,809,925 for their maiden NBA title.

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With the Aces looking to live up to Stephen Curry’s Warriors like dynasty, could we see them pick up the first $1 million cheque in the WNBA? Only time will tell.