WNBA players enter top athlete earnings list
Four players from the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) were named among the world’s 20 highest-paid female athletes in a December 2025 ranking. Caitlin Clark, Sabrina Ionescu, Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers made the list.
Clark ranked 11th, followed by Ionescu in 13th, Reese in 15th and Bueckers in 16th. Those estimates included basketball compensation and sponsorship, licensing, and appearance income before taxes, rather than independently verified individual wealth disclosures.
Caitlin Clark’s $20 million net worth estimate
Caitlin Clark’s personal net worth was estimated at $20 million in a July 2026 report. The Indiana Fever guard’s valuation reflected her professional basketball career and several commercial partnerships with Nike, Gatorade, and State Farm.
The calculation came from a third-party financial website rather than Clark’s own records. Her personal investments, spending, taxes, and other obligations remain private, making the reported total only an estimate rather than a confirmed balance.
Caitlin Clark secured a $28 million Nike deal
Caitlin Clark reached a reported eight-year, $28 million agreement with Nike in April 2024. The sponsorship included plans for a signature basketball shoe after the Indiana Fever selected her first overall in the WNBA draft.
Clark already had a name, image, and likeness partnership with Nike during her four-year college career at Iowa. Her professional agreement established a much larger commercial relationship shortly after she completed her final NCAA season.
Caitlin Clark’s 2025 earnings estimates differ
One estimate from December 2025 placed Caitlin Clark’s annual earnings at $16.1 million, including approximately $16 million from sponsorships. Her WNBA base salary and performance bonuses contributed roughly $114,000, or about 0.7% of the reported total.
A separate assessment calculated her earnings at $12.1 million for that same year, with $12 million earned away from basketball. The different totals reflect varying estimates rather than confirmed disclosures of Clark’s personal financial accounts.
Angel Reese earned an estimated $9.4 million
Angel Reese earned an estimated $9.4 million in 2025, including roughly $9 million from activities outside basketball competition. Another $400,000 came from playing income, a category broader than her regular WNBA salary.
Reese earned a reported $74,909 playing for the Chicago Sky that season. Atlanta acquired the forward in April 2026, sending first-round draft picks in 2027 and 2028 to Chicago as compensation. Atlanta gained swap rights.
Angel Reese disputed a $2 million valuation
Angel Reese challenged a $2 million net worth estimate during a November 2024 interview at ComplexCon in Las Vegas. Asked whether the reported amount was accurate, the basketball player described the figure as way off.
Speaking with interviewer Speedy Morman, Reese discussed using her financial resources to help relatives, including paying her mother’s mortgage. She did not disclose an alternative net worth figure, leaving her actual holdings out of public view.
Angel Reese released a $120 Reebok shoe
Angel Reese launched her first Reebok signature basketball shoe worldwide on September 18, 2025, at a listed price of $120. The Angel Reese 1 debuted in three initial colorways, including one version called Diamond Dust.
The launch also introduced matching apparel designed around Reese’s style. The basketball shoe incorporated cushioning and stability features, and its release expanded a sponsorship agreement to include products bearing the player’s name and design input.
Angel Reese invested in TOGETHXR
Angel Reese joined the ownership group of TOGETHXR, a Los Angeles-based sports media company, in September 2025. Its founders include Sue Bird, Alex Morgan, Chloe Kim, and Simone Manuel, who launched the business in 2021.
The business generated approximately $6 million from merchandise sales in 2024, including apparel carrying its women’s sports slogan. Reese’s ownership share and specific investment amount were not disclosed, preventing an estimate of her financial return.
Sabrina Ionescu earned $10.5 million in 2025
Sabrina Ionescu was estimated to earn $10.5 million in 2025 while playing for the New York Liberty. Commercial activity accounted for approximately $10 million, while professional basketball and other competition contributed the remaining $500,000.
Ionescu added commercial partnerships with Ant International and luggage maker Away during 2025. Her business activities also included private investments in the technology companies Buzzer Media and Nex, as well as an established signature footwear relationship with Nike.
Sabrina Ionescu’s Nike shoes reached the NBA
During the 2025 to 2026 NBA regular season, the Nike Sabrina 3 logged 26,125 minutes of player use. That ranked Sabrina Ionescu’s signature model third among all basketball shoe models tracked throughout the professional league.
Nike unveiled the Sabrina 4 signature collection in April 2026 and released it on July 17. Its design added a TPU FlyPlate to the footwear, while accompanying apparel featured Aero-FIT cooling technology for basketball players.
Fun fact: A Caitlin Clark rookie trading card sold for $660,000 in July 2025, nearly twice the value of her original four-year WNBA contract.
Sue Bird joined Seattle Storm ownership
Sue Bird’s estimated personal net worth ranged between $8 million and $10 million in an August 2023 report. The former Seattle Storm guard developed additional off-court business interests after completing her 19-season WNBA playing career.
Bird joined the Storm’s ownership group in April 2024 following her retirement in 2022. She won four WNBA championships with Seattle and earned 13 All-Star selections, a professional league record at the time she ended her career.
Paige Bueckers made an estimated $9.1 million
Paige Bueckers appeared in a December 2025 ranking of female athletes’ earnings, with an estimated $9.1 million. About $9 million came from commercial work, while basketball competition accounted for approximately $100,000 during her first professional season.
The Dallas Wings rookie guard signed an exclusive, multiyear memorabilia agreement with Fanatics in November 2025. The collection included autographed basketballs, jerseys, photographs, shoes, and selected game-used equipment from her college and professional playing careers.
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WNBA raised salaries under its 2026 agreement
The WNBA finalized a seven-year labor agreement in May 2026, raising the annual team salary cap from $1.5 million in 2025 to $7 million. The maximum individual salary reached $1.4 million under its revised terms.
The new terms projected average annual compensation above $583,000 and approximately $500,000 for the first overall rookie draft selection. The finalized agreement also raised pay on existing entry-level contracts for players already in the league.
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Caitlin Clark’s Nike deal or Angel Reese’s Reebok partnership which stands out to you more? We’d like to hear which WNBA star has the strongest business potential, so share your thoughts in the comments below!
This slideshow was made with AI assistance and human editing.
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