WNBA All-Stars Call for Bigger Bonuses as Pay Gap with NBA Widens

While WNBA All-Stars get their moment in the sun every summer, their pay still lags well behind that of their NBA counterparts—both in absolute value and total earnings effect. All WNBA All-Stars, be they starters, reserves, or MVPs, are paid a mere $2,575 by the league, with the MVP adding an extra $5,150. Even skills competition winners receive the same basic figure.

Conversely, NBA All-Stars who play for the winning side pocket $125,000, a significant difference, given the WNBA's average salary of $117,133 to the NBA's $9.19 million. While the WNBA's bonus is a slightly greater percentage of the average salary (2.1% vs. 1.35% for the NBA), the actual dollar difference is 48.5 times greater in the NBA's favor.

Aflac Steps In to Bridge the Compensation Divide

WNBA All-Stars Call for Bigger Bonuses as Pay Gap with

According to Marca, private sponsorship has been a surprising lifeline for WNBA players. Aflac, the league's official insurance sponsor, awards $60,000 to the 3-point champion and $55,000 to the winner of the skills competition. In 2024, Atlanta Dream's Allisha Gray made $115,150 from all All-Star weekend bonuses, almost two-thirds of her $185,000 WNBA paycheck.

Aflac upped its overall prize money for All-Stars to $115,000 for the 2025 season, filling a gap that the league has failed to cover for years on end when it comes to pay equity.

The development has been welcomed by players and fans, though it indicates that the league depends on outside sponsors to cover pay gaps internally.

Players Union Demands Structural Change

The WNBPA, represented by President Nneka Ogwumike, has cited the disparity in All-Star bonuses as a sign of broader compensation problems in the league.

Ogwumike said that bonuses should be reconstructed for the WNBA All-Stars while the union renegotiates the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with an October 31 deadline.

The union spurned the league's latest offer, with Phoenix Mercury star Satou Sabally denouncing it as "a slap in the face."

Central demands include pay raises and a new revenue-sharing system that more closely mirrors the league's skyrocketing popularity. As WNBA ratings are up 156% in 2025, players contend their pay should increase proportionately.

The Reality of the Bonus Gap Between NBA and WNBA

Even when taken as a percentage of salary, the WNBA's All-Star bonus system is abysmal. For example, the top possible bonus for a WNBA MVP who also wins the skills competition is $7,725—less than a third of what a reserve player on the losing All-Star team in the NBA takes home.

As Ogwumike stressed: "We're not seeking percentage tweaks but revenue-sharing reflecting our value." The message from players is clear: bonuses must evolve with the league.

Third-party supporters such as Aflac shouldn't have to fill gaps in pay. If there's anything to worry about, it's that WNBA should step up to address this issue. The league should acknowledge its players' fiscal priorities at the end of the day.