Before cash-rich Saudis wooed Ronaldo to desert league, Beijing was beckoning American basketball stars to China for building their own brand. The offshore move was mostly driven by money. Some of these stars who participated in the Chinese league would bag ten times more than their WNBA salaries.

There has always been a disparity in the pay of the WNBA players. Hence, most women’s basketball athletes opt for overseas leagues during the off-season which helps them pay their bills. And the Chinese league WCBA is one of the most preferred foreign leagues.

Salary difference between WNBA and WCBA

The Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner was the first overall pick during the 2013 WNBA draft but could only make $49,440 as a rookie. She then plied her trade for the Zhejiang Golden Bulls of the Women’s Chinese Basketball Association, earning around $600,000 for a season. This was almost a dozen times more than her cap WNBA salary. Griner averaged a whopping 24.1 points with 10.3 rebounds per contest and 3.7 blocked shots per match. But she was not the only one to take such a step.

The first WNBA player to become a prominent name in the Chinese League was Maya Moore. Moore had joined the Chinese club Shanxi Flame to replace Ebony Hoffman in 2012. Since the league allowed only one non-Asian player per team, the Missouri-born replaced Hoffman and helped her new club win 10 games in a row and was nicknamed the “Invincible Queen” by her fans. She finished the first season averaging a spectacular 37.3 points with 12.1 rebounds per game, 4.3 assists per match and 3.5 steals per contest.

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In the next season, the former Minnesota Lynx star again bagged the coveted title. She pocketed about 39.3 points per game with 11.8 rebounds per match and 4.8 assists per contest. Though the terms of her contract weren’t disclosed, as per Mic.com Moore claimed that her WCBA contract was “significantly more than double” her rookie deal in the WNBA. She helped her Chinese team to win their third title straight beating the Griner led Beijing 3-1 in the finals. Over the years, the 34-year-old has built a good following in China and was also named the “Honorary Citizen of Taiyuan”.

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Notably, there is a salary gap for both WNBA players in Chinese leagues and Chinese players in the WNBA. One such player is the New York Liberty star Han Xu. Han earns around 4 million in the WCBA league as per Min News whereas her Liberty contract for 2023 is just $62,285.

More Chinese Contracts

Another New York Liberty star Stefanie Dolson had signed a contract with China’s Sichuan Whale during the 2016-17 off-season. The pay must have been hefty since she inked another one with the Henan Phoenix for the 2018-19 off-season.

“For me I just go to make the money,” Stefanie Dolson stated as per Queen Ballers Club. “That’s why I went to China. China is a short season too. So for me that’s the best. Most money, shortest season, kind of bang it out, and get back home.” The 31-year-old currently has a $320,000 2-year contract with the Liberty and a base salary of $160,000. One can only imagine the amount of money she would be making abroad.

Similarly, the former Las Vegas Aces star Liz Cambage turned all heads when she signed a contract worth $1 million to join the Chinese team Sichuan. The deal will commence next year and will pay her decent incentives with a sturdy base salary.

The 32-year-old had a fallout with the Los Angeles Sparks in 2022 and had also criticized the salary structure in the WNBA. As per Just Women’s Sports, Cambage’s salary was only a quarter of what she would earn in the WCBA.

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Hence, despite progressing and having record viewership in the recent season, the WNBA still lacks in paying its athletes. And it is not sure if, with time, the American women’s league would bridge the gap.