Highest-Paid WNBA Players: Is Brittney Griner the Highest Paid Player in the League?

Salary has always been a sensitive topic when it comes to the WNBA. There have been moments when WNBA players have called out the league’s officials for the disparity in their salaries.

As for the remuneration received by the players, in economic terms, a company can only pay its employees based on what their revenue is. Therefore in conjunction, the average salary of a WNBA player is about $147,745. Brittney Griner however is the 35th highest-paid player making about $165,100. 

Brittney Griner’s teammate Diana Taurasi is one of the highest-paid WNBA players

The highest-paid WNBA player race is actually a three-way tie. Diana Taurasi of the Phoenix Mercury, Arike Ogunbowale of the Dallas Wings, and Jewell Loyd of the Seattle Storm each earn about $234,936 per season played. Of the three Diana Taurasi, holds the edge due to her veteran status and general popularity as one of the best players in the WNBA. 

This means she receives significantly more endorsement opportunities than her peers. Many even consider her the greatest women’s basketball player of all time, over other legends like Lisa Leslie and Sue Bird. She draws parallels to LeBron James with her play and is widely respected among the WNBA community.

Arike Ogunbowale was drafted in 2019 to the Dallas Wings and has been sensational ever since. Coming out of college as an NCAA champion Ogunbowale immediately made an impact making the All-WNBA first team the season after and winning All-Star Game MVP in 2021. 

Lastly, we have Jewell Loyd of the Seattle Storm. Loyd was drafted first overall to the Storm in 2015 and was teammates with the aforementioned Sue Bird. Due to Bird already playing the point guard position, Loyd developed into one of the best shooting guards in the league, winning Rookie of the Year and two championships with the Storm in 2018 and 2020. 

Very interestingly all three players have a career-high of 37 points as you can see above. These three players represent the past, present, and future of the WNBA. The future does look bright for the league due to it gaining traction online and the everlasting support of NBA players. In turn, the players must hope that contracts follow the same trend.