WNBA vs NBA: The Salary Disparity Explained

When Cooper Flagg signed his first NBA contract, the number was undoubtedly going to be big. Really big. He is expected to earn $13.82 million in his rookie season.

Now compare that to Paige Bueckers — top pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft — whose rookie 4-year deal maxes out at roughly $350,000. Same sport. Same level of stardom. Vastly different compensation.

This isn’t a knock on Flagg. The 6’9″ Duke phenom is everything scouts dream of — explosive, polished, marketable. His presence will boost ticket sales, TV ratings, and jersey revenue for whatever NBA team lands him. He’s the real deal.

But so is Paige Bueckers.

Once dubbed “the future of women’s basketball,” Bueckers turned UConn into a national powerhouse AGAIN. She’s a household name with a Nike deal, a jaw-dropping highlight reel, and an army of fans. And yet, when she joins the WNBA, she’ll earn less per year than some NBA players make in a single quarter.

The Numbers Don’t Lie

• Cooper Flagg’s projected rookie salary: ~$13 million over 2 years

• Paige Bueckers’ expected WNBA rookie salary: ~$85,000 per year

  
  

That means in their rookie contracts, Flagg will earn more in a single game than Bueckers will an entire season.

Let’s zoom out further:

• The WNBA’s top draft pick in 2024, Caitlin Clark, had a base salary of $76,535 for her first year. 

• NBA rookie minimum salary was $1,119,563 for the 2024-25 season.

• That’s a 15x difference between the NBA’s floor and the WNBA’s ceiling.

  
  

Even more jarring: the entire WNBA salary cap for a team is ~$1.3 million — less than what many NBA players earn monthly. A 10-day NBA contract pays roughly $130,000 — nearly double a WNBA rookie’s annual earnings.

More Than a Paycheck

This isn’t just about money — it’s about what that money represents. Value. Investment. Respect. When NBA teams throw eight-figure deals at rookies, they’re not just betting on talent. They’re investing in a future. They’re saying: You matter. You’re worth it.

The WNBA is sending a different message — not intentionally, perhaps, but structurally. Rookie contracts are capped. Team budgets are tight. And yes, revenue still trails far behind the NBA. But athletes like Bueckers, Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and JuJu Watkins are changing that in real time.

They’re filling arenas. Spiking ratings. Driving cultural relevance.

• Iowa vs. LSU (2024 Elite Eight): 12.3 million viewers — more than any NBA regular-season game in 2024.

• 2024 WNBA Draft: 2.45 million viewers — up 300% year over year.

• WNBA 2025 season: First match-up between Bueckers and Clarke, average ticket prices currently sit at $450.

And yet, top WNBA draftees often take a pay cut by going pro.

• Top women’s college NIL earners (2024):

  • Caitlin Clark: $3.1 million

  • Paige Bueckers: $1.5 million

  • Flau’jae Johnson: $1.5 million

That means Bueckers could very well make 5 times less as a pro than she did as a college athlete.

A League at a Crossroads

The WNBA has made big strides. A $2.2 billion media rights deal is on the table. Expansion is coming. Viewership is soaring, thanks in large part to Clark and her class.

Still, top draftees like Bueckers will have to lean on endorsement deals to reach financial parity with their male counterparts — or even their own NIL earnings in college. It’s a strange reality: You can be a bigger star in college and make more money than the top professional women’s league in the world can offer.

Let’s put the broader context into perspective:

• NBA annual revenue (2023): Over $11 billion

• WNBA estimated revenue (2024): ~$710 million

• NBA team salary cap (2023–24): ~$136 million

• Entire WNBA league payroll (2024): ~$16 million

  
  

That’s not a gap. That’s a canyon.

What’s the Fix?

Raising rookie salaries would be a start. A real, collective investment from ownership and sponsors in the product — not just the players — is needed. The talent is there. The fans are watching. The energy is real.

It’s time for the economics to catch up.

Power Players Are Stepping In

If there’s a silver lining to the pay disparity conversation, it’s this: powerful women are beginning to reshape the ecosystem from the inside out.

Serena Williams — one of the most iconic athletes in history — recently joined the ownership group of the Toronto Tempo, the WNBA’s first Canadian team. Her involvement isn’t just symbolic. It’s strategic. Williams brings unmatched brand recognition, international appeal, and a proven business mind. She’s expected to open new revenue streams through media exposure, corporate partnerships, and global sponsorships.

Her presence also sends a clear message: women’s sports are investable. Bankable. Scalable.

That kind of leadership matters. When icons like Serena back women’s basketball, it increases the sport’s legitimacy in the eyes of both investors and fans. It signals a future where the next Paige Bueckers doesn’t have to choose between spotlight and salary — she gets both.

The Bottom Line

Cooper Flagg and Paige Bueckers are both generational athletes. But only one of them is getting generational wealth out of the gate. The other will enter a league that’s still fighting to be taken seriously by its own financial structures.

The divide isn’t just a salary gap. It’s a statement. And the question now is whether the WNBA — and the people who fund it — are ready to rewrite it.