WNBA Stars to Head Overseas Despite Brittney Griner’s Arrest in Russia

When she was arrested, Griner was returning to Russia to join Jones on their team, UMMC Yekaterinburg, for the playoffs. Griner has starred for the W.N.B.A.’s Phoenix Mercury since 2013 and soon after also joined Yekaterinburg, among a handful of clubs owned by oligarchs who pay top salaries for pride and political reasons. Those clubs are not seen as an option right now because of Griner’s detention and the war in Ukraine.

“It’s taken some money off the table for some people,” said Mike Cound, an agent who represents dozens of professional women’s basketball players. “It’s lowered the overall average salaries a little bit, but other countries, especially Turkey, have stepped up, upped their money because they realize they can get players they didn’t previously have access to.”

The maximum annual base salary for W.N.B.A. players is $228,094, and just three players earned that much this year, according to Spotrac. Griner’s salary is just under the maximum. The minimum is about $60,000. Each team has a salary cap of about $1.4 million to fill 12 roster spots. The league offers bonuses for winning awards like defensive player of the year, and also helps players find internships or marketing deals during the off-season.

By contrast, some players can make more than $1 million playing overseas. Jones, who has played for the Connecticut Sun since 2016, once told ESPN that she made her entire W.N.B.A. salary — $205,000 this season — in one month playing in Russia. Players in Turkish leagues can make several hundred thousand dollars in a season.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/24/sports/basketball/wnba-brittney-griner-russia-wnba-salaries.html