A’ja Wilson is one of the highest-paid athletes in the WNBA, earning around $200,000 every year. This pay scale can be just a dream for some players in the league as there are always two sides to a coin. While many players are getting good pay, for many others it can be a milestone they might never reach.

The WNBA is one of the biggest leagues in women’s basketball, and for a player to reach here it takes a lot of sheer will and dedication. Female athletes have to show their basketball skills and prowess from high school itself, while others gain recognition and ultimately reach the WNBA through their college careers. The star power and performance ultimately determine the overall worth.

Who’re the lowest-paid WNBA players in 2023?

The rookies in first-round draft picks in the WNBA received a promising first-year base salary of $74,305, which jumps to $75,792 in the second year and to $83,371 in the third year. But all the rookies are not lucky to be drafted in the first round. Some of them don’t get drafted until the third round. The first-year base salary is only $62,285 which jumps to $66,710 in the third year. And it doesn’t even come close to the base salary of athletes who get drafted in the first round. 

As per Queen Ballers Club, some of the lowest-paid WNBA players in 2023 are – Mikayla Pivec of the Atlanta Dream, Lorela Cubaj of the Atlanta Dream, Anneli Maley of the Chicago Sky, Feyonda Fitzgerald of the Chicago Sky, Robyn Parks of the Chicago Sky, Li Yueru of the Chicago Sky, Victoria Macaulay of the Connecticut Sun, Mikiah Herbert Harrigan of the Connecticut Sun, Nirra Fields of the Connecticut Sun, Lauren Cox of the Connecticut Sun, and many more. They earn a base salary of $62,285 per year, which if compared to the highest-paid athletes in the league, they don’t even make half of what players like A’ja Wilson make. 

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Even after working hard every year to be one of the best players in the league, a salary gap like this can lead to feelings of inequity, financial hardship, and a sense of being undervalued, making it a frustrating situation for the athlete. Amid all this, one question remains, what is the pay gap between the athletes of the WNBA and NBA? 

Where does the WNBA pay scale stand against NBA?

The NBA is the biggest and the most influential league of men’s basketball in the world. It annually generates mind-blowing revenue of $7.92 billion. Whereas, the WNBA annually generates only $60 million. Salaries of athletes in a league are primarily decided by the value they bring and the annual revenue by both the leagues is a testament to it. 

While Erica Wheeler of the Indiana Fever is the highest-paid WNBA player ($242,000), Stephen Curry of the NBA earns around $40 million per year.

Debates over this pay scale disparity have been going on for the past few years but no conclusion has been reached till the day.

In terms of the salaries of athletes in the NBA, the lowest salary is around $1.1 million per year. Fans all over the world share different views on this topic. While some believe that athletes regardless of their gender should be paid equally, many suggest that the WNBA is nowhere near the NBA in terms of revenue generation, viewership, legacy, and much more. 

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The pay scale difference is indeed very huge in the leagues at the moment. But many do hope that female athletes get the recognition and the pay they deserve and feel some sense of equality.