WNBA Players Cash In on Historic CBA, Splurge and Plan for the Future

The March 2024 collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between the WNBA and its players’ union lifted salaries dramatically. Average player earnings rose by 366 %, moving many athletes into a higher tax bracket. Guard Courtney Williams saw a 561.1 % jump, earning $180,000 for the 2025 season and later securing a two-year, $2.44 million contract that pays $1.19 million in 2026. Forward Natisha Hiedeman recorded a 455.6 % increase from 2025 to 2026 with a two-year, $1.525 million deal with the Seattle Storm.

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Players have used the windfall for both indulgence and long-term wealth building. Williams celebrated with a night out at a Phoenix strip club, while Hiedeman commissioned a custom, seven-foot Goku statue for her friend. Guard Rhyne Howard bought a Louis Vuitton bag and perfume, and forward Kiki Iriafen acquired a black Porsche Cayenne with a cheetah-print steering wheel. Guard Lexie Hull purchased a new Tesla, and several teammates—Sophie Cunningham, Marina Mabrey, and Breanna Stewart—are exploring real-estate investments and luxury accessories.

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In mid-April, the players’ union struck a multiyear partnership with JP Morgan Chase Bank to provide year-round financial education and personalized consulting. Union president Nneka Ogwumike, who announced her retirement at season’s end, highlighted the importance of enjoying earnings while planning for the future, noting she rewarded herself with a hyperbaric chamber for recovery.

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• “I went to the strip club and blew a bag,” — Courtney Williams

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• “I ain't gonna lie, I spent a little bit on that,” — Natisha Hiedeman

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• “I definitely saved a lot of my money, invested a lot of money," Iriafen said.” — Kiki Iriafen

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• “I'm about to probably buy one in Nashville and Florida, and so I'm just starting to make a business outside of the court,” — Sophie Cunningham

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• “The way that we've approached it is less, 'Here's just the baseline of what you need to know,' and more of, 'This is all personal to you,'” — Kate Schoff, head of sports & entertainment marketing at JP Morgan Chase

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• “I'm also somebody who doesn't believe in just holding on to your cash,” — Nneka Ogwumike, union president

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