Named the Sun’s sixth head coach, Stephanie White brought boatloads of basketball wealth to the team. After she concluded her playing career in 2004, she took a dive into the next best profession, i.e., coaching. She started off her career in 2003 as an assistant coach in the NCAA. For four years she worked in the same position for three different programs, and then eventually she took a leap and made it to the WNBA. But it was only in 2015 that she got promoted to the role of head coach for the Indiana Fever, and she tallied a record of 37-31 alongside a playoff record of 6-6. After two seasons, she jumped back into the NCAA, but this time as Vanderbilt’s head coach through 2021.

It was only last season when she was named the Connecticut Sun’s head coach and set a new single-season franchise record in her first season by leading the Sun to a 27-13 overall record. As a result, she was awarded the 2023 WNBA Coach of the Year. Overall, she has achieved great success at almost every level of the game, including as a player, television analyst, and coach. But how much money did she make through these recent years?

Stephanie White’s salary and net worth in the W

The former WNBA star, White, has a reported net worth between $3 million and $5 million. The details of her contract haven’t been made public. As it turns out, the salaries of WNBA coaches are kept away from the public eye. However, it is for sure that she will receive additional compensation as the Sun has advanced to the playoffs.

Per PopSugar, the salaries of WNBA coaches are kept out of the public eye. The WNBA is a private company; each franchise is an independent business that is responsible for its employees’ salaries. Hence, the actual AAV or contract details for Stephanie White is hard to guess about.

Moreover, each WNBA team is financed by an NBA team. As a result, the annual salaries of the top 5 WNBA coaches range between $500,000 and $1.2 million. To give things a push, the WNBA brought over $200 million in revenue last year, which indicated more than 200% year-over-year increase. Similarly, ticket sales also skyrocketed, making up for over 93% compared to 2022.

However, despite the rookies Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese being attributed to the league’s growing momentum, there reportedly hasn’t been an increase in the coaches’ and athletes’ salaries. Hence, it is a long haul in the WNBA to get fair pay for coaches and players alike. This again brings up a lingering question.

Why are WNBA coaches paid less in comparison to their NBA counterparts?

A lot of it boils down to not just the W but women’s sports as a whole. May it be basketball, soccer, tennis, or hockey, the inequality in salary is there. Some of the major factors contributing to this inequality have been less audience viewership and less revenue.

Although it has been a blast since the last season, the WNBA plays 42 fewer games in a season than their male counterparts; as a result, they have reduced TV rights and media deals. Simply put, the NBA makes $2.6 billion per year in media rights. On the other hand, the WNBA makes around $60 million.

Looking at the recent events related to the NBA securing lucrative media rights deals with networks like Amazon Prime Video, NBCUniversal, and the Walt Disney Company for 11 years worth $77 billion. It only indicates that the WNBA’s progress is heavily dependent upon the NBA, as out of the total amount of this deal, around $2.2 billion, or $200 million per year, is designated to women’s basketball.

This will not only increase the league’s time on air but also rise in viewership and money, which will lead to an increase in players’ and coaches’ salaries. However, that seems to have been done by Caitlin Clark and other rookies already; more so, they have broken viewership records.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.