Openai/6961a2cb-8de8-8010-8e27-911459960dae

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User: what should be wnba players be paid if they recieved the same percentage as nba players what would be a good estimat e

what should be wnba players be paid if they recieved the same percentage as nba players what would be a good estimat e

Assistant: Here’s a simple estimate of what WNBA players would be paid if they got the same percentage of league revenue that NBA …

Here’s a simple estimate of what WNBA players would be paid if they got the same percentage of league revenue that NBA players do — instead of the much smaller share they currently receive:

- NBA players receive about 49–51% of basketball-related league revenue. Yahoo Sports

• WNBA players currently get about 9–10% of total league revenue under the existing CBA — a tiny slice compared to the NBA. X (formerly Twitter)
• WNBA total revenue is estimated at roughly $180–$200 million per year (including media rights, ticket sales, merchandise, etc.). X (formerly Twitter)
• Current average WNBA salary is roughly $120,000–$150,000 and maximum around $250,000. Yahoo Sports

Let’s assume the WNBA earns $200 million/year, and players receive 50% of that revenue — the same share NBA players get:

Total player pool under 50% share: 🏀 $200 million × 50% = $100 million available for player salaries.

There are 144 active roster spots in the WNBA (12 teams × 12 players).

Average salary under this model: 💡 $100 million ÷ 144 ≈ $694,000 per player per year

Compare that to current numbers:

• Current average: ~$120K–$150K
• Hypothetical average: ~$694K ➡️ That’s roughly 4-6× higher than current averages if revenues stay the same and players get the NBA-style share. X (formerly Twitter)

Top-end/Maximum salaries: If teams structured salaries with tiering (like the NBA does), top stars could be in the $1–2M range or higher, rather than ~$250K now. This tracks with players’ own revenue-share demands in negotiations. Reuters

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If you want, I can also break this down by rookie vs. star earning tiers or show what a salary scale might look like for starting players, mids, and superstars under the 50% revenue-share scenario.

User: what would the number 1 wnba pick get vs what would a udfa get

what would the number 1 wnba pick get vs what would a udfa get

Assistant: Here is a clear, realistic estimate of what the 1 WNBA draft pick and a UDFA undrafted free agent would get if the WNBA…

Here is a clear, realistic estimate of what the #1 WNBA draft pick and a UDFA (undrafted free agent) would get if the WNBA paid players the same percentage of revenue as the NBA.

If WNBA players received 50% of league revenue (same as NBA players):

• Estimated WNBA revenue: $200 million
• Players’ share at 50%: $100 million
• 144 roster spots

Average salary ≈ $694,000 per player

But like the NBA, salaries would be tiered. Rookies would not earn the average — they’d have a scale.

In the NBA:

• #1 overall pick makes about 150% of the rookie scale slot.
• UDFA earns the minimum salary, usually a 1–2 year non-guaranteed deal.

Apply that same logic to WNBA numbers.

Using NBA-style tiering:

- Would likely earn between 1.5× and 2× the average rookie salary.

• Estimated rookie pool might be around 20% of total player salaries.
• If rookies average ~$500K, the #1 pick would earn:

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Using NBA logic:

• UDFAs get non-guaranteed minimum deals
• Typically 50–60% of the rookie scale minimum

So:

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If the WNBA operated under the same revenue-share rules as the NBA:

• The #1 pick would be close to a $1M player.
• A UDFA would still make good money (~$350K+), not barely above minimum.
• Salary structure would reflect actual market value rather than artificially suppressed caps.

If you want, I can also build:

User: Yes do them all and feel free to use any format ill adjust .

Yes do them all and feel free to use any format ill adjust . Just give me the information

Assistant: Perfect — here is everything laid out cleanly:

Perfect — here is everything laid out cleanly: ✔️ Full hypothetical WNBA rookie scale (picks 1–36) ✔️ UDFA estimates ✔️ Hypothetical salary cap + max contract structure ✔️ Comparison to current WNBA numbers

All based on the model where WNBA players receive 50% of league revenue, just like the NBA.

To keep numbers consistent:

• Estimated league revenue: $200,000,000
• Player share at 50% = $100,000,000
• 144 roster spots → Average salary ≈ $694,000
• Rookie scale pool = 20% of total salaries = $20M
• 36 drafted rookies → average rookie salary ≈ $555K

The #1 pick would be higher than the average rookie, the late 2nd-round pick lower.

(Assumes a 2-year guaranteed base with team options for years 3–4, same as NBA structure.)

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In the NBA, UDFAs often sign near the minimum or accept two-way deals.

Using that structure:

- Base: $300,000–$350,000

• Year 2 non-guaranteed
• Incentives for games played / making roster

- $200,000 base salary

• Up to $350,000 with active roster days

To maintain NBA-like balance:

- Total cap pool: $100,000,000

• 12 teams
• → Team salary cap ~ $8.3 million per team

- Salary cap: $8.3M

• Luxury tax line: $9.0M
• Hard cap: $10.0M

Based on NBA percentages:

• Max Contract Tier 1 (7+ years) → 35% of cap = $2.9M
• Max Contract Tier 2 (4–6 years) → 30% of cap = $2.5M
• Max Contract Tier 3 (0–3 years) → 25% of cap = $2.1M

This matches the NBA structure almost perfectly.

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If the WNBA paid players the same revenue percentage as the NBA:

$2M+ contracts end need for overseas "second job" for top players.

If you want, I can also make:

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Just tell me which one you want next.

User: So what would a potential a'ja wilson deal look like

So what would a potential a'ja wilson deal look like

Assistant: Here’s a clean, realistic hypothetical contract for A’ja Wilson if the WNBA paid players using NBA-style revenue share …

Here’s a clean, realistic hypothetical contract for A’ja Wilson if the WNBA paid players using NBA-style revenue share rules (50% of league revenue + $8.3M team cap).

We’ll model it using the NBA “supermax” structure, which applies to:

• former MVP ✔️
• former DPOY ✔️
• Finals MVP ✔️
• All-WNBA 1st team ✔️
• Franchise cornerstone ✔️

A’ja checks every box, so she qualifies for the Tier 1 Max (35% of team cap).

🔥 A’JA WILSON — HYPOTHETICAL SUPERMAX CONTRACT

Using:

• Team salary cap: $8.3 million
• Tier 1 max = 35% of cap
• Yearly raises = 8% (NBA standard for staying with your current team)

Year-by-Year Breakdown

| Year | Base Salary (35% of Cap w/ raises) | | ---------------------- | ---------------------------------- | | Year 1 | $2,905,000 | | Year 2 | $3,137,000 | | Year 3 | $3,388,000 | | Year 4 | $3,659,000 | | Year 5 (player option) | $3,952,000 |

🧮 Total Contract Value

👉 5 years, $17,041,000

This would be the largest contract in the WNBA under a revenue-sharing model.

⭐ WHY THIS WORKS FOR A’JA

This type of deal reflects:

✔️ MVP production

A’ja is clearly the best player in the league.

✔️ “Face of the league” status

Star players in NBA get supermax deals to keep them with the franchise.

✔️ Longevity + awards

Her résumé is comparable to NBA supermax qualifiers.

✔️ Franchise loyalty

Teams can offer higher raises and more years to keep their stars.

✔️ Performance bonuses

A’ja would easily qualify for incentives (see below).

💰 Potential Bonuses (Modeled After NBA Incentives)

These would stack on top of the base salary:

| Incentive | Amount | | ---------------------- | --------- | | MVP | +$250,000 | | DPOY | +$150,000 | | Finals MVP | +$150,000 | | All-WNBA First Team | +$100,000 | | Team makes WNBA Finals | +$200,000 | | Team wins title | +$250,000 |

If A’ja has a dominant year, she could easily earn:

📌 OPTIONAL EXTENSION (If signed early)

If Vegas extends her early, NBA rules allow a “supermax extension” at 140% of last salary.

For A’ja that would look like:

• 4 years, ~$16M (after her current deal ends)

📊 COMPARED TO HER CURRENT WNBA DEAL

| Contract Type | Annual Salary | | ---------------------------- | ------------------ | | Current real WNBA salary | ~$232,000 | | Hypothetical supermax salary | $2.9M–$4M per year |

She is currently making less than 10% of what she would under a revenue-share system.

🧨 WHAT THIS MEANS FOR THE LEAGUE

If WNBA revenue distribution was NBA-style:

• A’ja becomes a $3M–$4M per year player
• Top stars like Stewart, Griner, Ionescu, Clark, Reese, Boston earn similar tiered max deals
• Roster players and UDFAs earn $300K–$700K
• Overseas play becomes optional instead of mandatory

It completely changes the economics of women’s basketball.

If you want, I can also build:

🔹 What the entire WNBA would look like with supermax contracts

Just tell me who you want next.