The upcoming WNBA season could see a delayed start, as much depends on the progress of negotiations between the players and Commissioner Cathy Engelbert regarding a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). The current agreement has been extended until January 9, 2026, to provide more room for discussions centered on significant salary increases and revenue sharing.
This tension comes at a time when the league’s popularity has reached unprecedented heights, largely driven by the arrival of 2024 Rookie of the YearCaitlin Clark. Alongside other rising stars like 2025 Rookie of the Year Paige Bueckers and 2023 NCAA champion Angel Reese, these players have brought a level of fame previously unseen, collectively boasting two championships and five National Championship game appearances.
Caitlin Clark Tops WNBA Earnings but Trails Global Icons
Forbes recently released its list of the world’s highest-paid female athletes for 2025, a ranking where tennis players continue to hold a firm grip on the top spots, occupying five of the first six positions and eight of the top 10 overall. The list is led by 21-year-old American Coco Gauff, who secured her first French Open title this year.
Gauff earned a staggering $33 million ($8 million on the court and $25 million off it) making her the third-highest-paid tennis player in the world, trailing only Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. Following her in the rankings are Aryna Sabalenka ($30 million), Iga Switek ($25.1 million), freestyle skier Eileen Gu from China ($23.1 million), and tennis star Qinwen Zheng ($22.6 million).
In fact, golfer Nelly Korda, sitting at number seven with $13 million, is the only other non-tennis player inside the top 10. Just outside that elite circle is Caitlin Clark, who ranks at number 11 with total earnings of $12.1 million. Her income breakdown highlights exactly why the CBA negotiations are so critical with only $78,066 of the total comes from her WNBA contract.
The remaining $12 million is generated through her massive off-court appeal. Clark’s popularity is undeniable; last fall, she sold more jerseys on Fanatics than any other professional basketball player besides Stephen Curry. She isn’t alone in the top 20, as Sabrina Ionescu ranks 12th with $10.5 million, $10 million comes from outside the WNBA, followed by Angel Reese ($9.4 million) and Paige Bueckers ($9.1 million) in 13th and 14th place.
Both Ionescu and Reese bolstered their income through the inaugural season of the winter league Unrivaled, which paid an average of $220,000 to participants. Bueckers is expected to join the Unrivaled ranks this upcoming season after being selected first overall in their draft.
Can a New WNBA CBA Break the Tennis Stronghold?
While tennis currently stands as the undisputed leader in female athlete earnings, the landscape is shifting. With the new WNBA negotiations and the start of lucrative TV rights deals, it is highly likely that more basketball players will break into the top 10. Any of the four WNBA stars currently in the top 20 have the potential to reach the top five as their off-court fame continues to grow over the next decade.
The current financial model of the WNBA is under the microscope because the disparity between “on-field” and “off-field” earnings is wider than in almost any other major sport. As the league moves toward a more equitable revenue-sharing model, the “on-field” portion of these athletes’ wealth could finally begin to reflect their true market value.
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