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The WNBA is quickly emerging as the fastest-growing sports league in the U.S. and recently agreed to a multi-billion-dollar television rights deal. So you’d expect that the league would pay its All-Stars, who are a huge reason for that growth, a healthy sum for playing in the annual exhibition game.
Well, think again. Annie Costabile of Front Office Sports reports that each WNBA player who participates in the 2025 All-Star Game in Indianapolis will receive just a $2,575 bonus.
By comparison, in the 2025 NBA All-Star Game, players on the winning team receive a $125,000 stipend, while those on the runner-up team earn $50,000 each. The other teams in the four-team tournament format also receive a stipend of $25,000 per player.
In the NFL, players on the winning team of the Pro Bowl Games each received $92,000, while players on the losing team received $46,000. Major League Baseball paid its All-Stars $15,000 for competing last year, with a bonus of around $25,000 for winning. The NHL did not hold an All-Star game this past season due to the inaugural 4-Nations Face-Off.
There are some incentives available for WNBA players. The All-Star MVP earns a $5,150 bonus in addition to the amount earned for their selection, while the winners of the 3-point and skills competitions will receive an additional $2,575 from the league.
Additionally, for the second year running, will pay a total of $115,000 in bonuses to the winners of the two skills competitions as part of a deal with the WNBPA. The insurance company will pay the winner of the 3-point contest $60,000, while the winner of the skills competition will receive $55,000.
Last season, Atlanta Dream star Alisha Gray pocketed $110,000 after winning both competitions. The sum nearly matched her 2024 salary of $185,000.
The paltry payouts come at a time when the league is locked in an increasingly contentious labor dispute with the players’ union. The current collective bargaining agreement is set to expire following the 2025 WNBA season, and the two sides appear nowhere close to a new deal.
All-Star payouts are just a tiny fraction of the disagreement. But they highlight a growing gap between current player compensation and ever-growing league revenues.
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