WNBA All-Stars Name for Larger Bonuses as Pay Gap with NBA Widens

While WNBA All-Stars get their second within the solar each summer time, their pay nonetheless lags nicely behind that of their NBA counterparts—each in absolute worth and whole earnings impact. All WNBA All-Stars, be they starters, reserves, or MVPs, are paid a mere $2,575 by the league, with the MVP including an additional $5,150. Even expertise competitors winners obtain the identical primary determine.

Conversely, NBA All-Stars who play for the successful facet pocket $125,000, a big distinction, given the WNBA’s common wage of $117,133 to the NBA’s $9.19 million. While the WNBA’s bonus is a barely better proportion of the common wage (2.1% vs. 1.35% for the NBA), the precise greenback distinction is 48.5 occasions better within the NBA’s favor.

Aflac Steps In to Bridge the Compensation Divide

According to Marca, personal sponsorship has been a shocking lifeline for WNBA gamers. Aflac, the league’s official insurance coverage sponsor, awards $60,000 to the 3-point champion and $55,000 to the winner of the talents competitors. In 2024, Atlanta Dream’s Allisha Gray made $115,150 from all All-Star weekend bonuses, virtually two-thirds of her $185,000 WNBA paycheck.

Aflac upped its general prize cash for All-Stars to $115,000 for the 2025 season, filling a spot that the league has did not cowl for years on finish in terms of pay fairness.

The growth has been welcomed by gamers and followers, although it signifies that the league is determined by exterior sponsors to cowl pay gaps internally.

Players Union Demands Structural Change

The WNBPA, represented by President Nneka Ogwumike, has cited the disparity in All-Star bonuses as an indication of broader compensation issues within the league.

Ogwumike stated that bonuses ought to be reconstructed for the WNBA All-Stars whereas the union renegotiates the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with an October 31 deadline.

The union spurned the league’s newest supply, with Phoenix Mercury star Satou Sabally denouncing it as “a slap in the face.”

Central calls for embody pay raises and a brand new revenue-sharing system that extra intently mirrors the league’s skyrocketing recognition. As WNBA rankings are up 156% in 2025, gamers contend their pay ought to improve proportionately.

The Reality of the Bonus Gap Between NBA and WNBA

Even when taken as a proportion of wage, the WNBA’s All-Star bonus system is abysmal. For instance, the highest attainable bonus for a WNBA MVP who additionally wins the talents competitors is $7,725—lower than a 3rd of what a reserve participant on the dropping All-Star workforce within the NBA takes residence.

As Ogwumike burdened: “We’re not seeking percentage tweaks but revenue-sharing reflecting our value.” The message from gamers is evident: bonuses should evolve with the league.

Third-party supporters equivalent to Aflac should not should fill gaps in pay. If there’s something to fret about, it is that WNBA ought to step as much as tackle this situation. The league ought to acknowledge its gamers’ fiscal priorities on the finish of the day.