The 2023 WNBA draft welcomed new players into the league, but not all will be playing for a team when the season rolls around. With only 144 roster spots in the league, holding onto a coveted spot is difficult. However, a few athletes, like No. 1 overall pick Aliyah Boston, will likely make a team and be in the starting lineup come the start of the season.
What can players like Boston expect to make in the league? The 2020 Collective Bargaining Agreement, which runs through 2027, outlines the salaries and bonuses players can expect to make.
For the first round of the WNBA draft, there are 12 picks.
Picks 1-4 will make a base salary of $74,305 in their first year. Picks 5-8 will receive a base salary of $71,300 and picks 9-12 will receive $68,295.
The CBA also outlines bonuses and other ways to earn and receive monetary compensation as a WNBA player separate and apart from the base salary. WNBA champions can receive bonuses of $11,356 while individual players can earn bonuses for being on the All-WNBA Defensive team among other accolades.
Players are also able to receive revenue-sharing percentages from the league, along with group licensing percentages among other monetary and non-monetary benefits.
The new CBA reflected a 53% increase in total cash compensation for players, which consists of base salary, additional performance bonuses, prize pools for newly created in-season competitions and league and team marketing deals. The league’s top players will be able to earn cash compensation in excess of $500,000, which triples the maximum compensation under the previous CBA. Other top players will have an opportunity to earn between $200,000 and $300,000. Additionally, for the first time in WNBA history, the average cash compensation for players will be nearly $130,000.
These new rookies will enter into a different WNBA than previous classes with increased salaries, travel benefits and enhanced free agency. The expectation is that the league will continue to raise the bar for their athletes while the union continues to advocate and fight for positive changes for all 144 members of the WNBA.
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