The WNBA has returned and with it has returned fans’ craze for the WNBA stars. And one such team that has taken all the limelight is the Las Vegas Aces who won the Championship title twice in the last two years. This could not have been possible without their star, A’ja Wilson, who is also the leader of their pack. Naturally, as one would expect, Wilson draws a heavy salary for her craft. So much so that the reigning Finals MVP is counted among the top earners in the league.

Wilson was drafted in the 2018 season when she earned herself a four-year rookie contract with the Aces. She signed a $232,178 contract for those years with an average annual salary of $58,045 as per Sportrac. Though she was the number 1 pick that season, her salary was significantly lower than that of Caitlin Clark, who is the number 1 pick this season and will make $76,535 for the current season.

Next, Wilson got herself a 2-year contract with the Aces after the previous one ended in 2021. She made $398,422 in those years with a cap hit of $196,267 in 2022, which extended to $202,155 in 2023. Those were formidable years in her journey since she won the Championship twice. This got her another contract with the Aces for 2 years.

In 2024 and 2025, she will have a cap hit of $200,000, which will see her cumulative cash reach $598,422 this year and $798,422 next year. This ranks her on the seventeenth spot in the list of the highest WNBA earners along with Ariel Atkins and teammate Kelsey Plum. Though she is 17th on the list, she isn’t far off from the highest earner Jackie Young, who is her teammate and will mint around $252,450 this season. Furthermore, Wilson has advanced women’s sports and is vocal about equal pay.

A’ja Wilson shares her take on equal pay

Wilson in a recent media interaction at the Time 100 Gala had urged her fans and supporters to invest in the game. She must have done so to elucidate the fact that more investment and craze among the WNBA followers means more revenue for the teams and in turn the athletes can be hopeful of getting raises.

“At this point, we’re going to continue to hope that people continue to invest in us. We have a lot of eyes on us. A lot of people are trying to pay attention. So now it’s kind of like put your money where your mouth is. Invest in us and show that you want to be a part of the change.”

Wilson’s earnings point to the fact that she is minting hefty money in terms of the WNBA but still has a long way to go when compared to NBA players. Hopefully, her advocation of equal pay will soon bear fruit and she will stand tall when compared to even NBA athletes.

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato had to say about the marketing genius, watch this video