Money and contracts are major talking points in every professional sports league. There are always opinions on whether a player is overpaid or underpaid based on what they bring to the court. However, when it comes to the WNBA, most will argue that every player has been underpaid — at least until the new CBA was signed this offseason.
Even with a major rise in the dollar signs that came with that revolutionary CBA agreement, there are still some players people consider to be 'underpaid,' especially given how much they contribute on the court.
Here are five players we think aren't getting the paycheck they deserve — excluding the stars who are still on rookie contracts.
Rae Burrell, Los Angeles Sparks
Burrell is easily the biggest snub on this list. Her rookie contract expired at the end of last season, but she stayed in Los Angeles, signing a one-year, $277,500 contract. In the new CBA, the minimum salary is $270,000, based on years of service. $277,500 is the minimum for fifth-year players, like Burrell.
There's no doubt this has been a breakout season for Burrell. She's averaging 13.9 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game — all career-highs. She's also shooting at a career-high 45.5 percent from the field. Of course, the Sparks didn't necessarily know she would have the best year of her career before offering her a minimum salary. But even last year, she was averaging 7.5 points per game off the bench — $277,500 still feels low. She will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season, so the question is raised: Will Los Angeles pay up, or will Burrell explore other options? Right now, I'd go with the latter.
Janelle Salaün, Golden State Valkyries
Salaün is currently the frontrunner to win the 2026 WNBA Sixth Player of the Year award. This is only her second year in the league, but last year she was an absolute star for the Valkyries. In 2025, she was on a one-year, $66,079 contract. She finished last season averaging 11.3 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game.
It was apparent she'd be getting a payday during the offseason. She's now on a two-year, $1,020,000 deal — this averages out to $500,000 in 2026 and $520,000 in 2027. Now, that's a major jump from last year, but I still believe it's a little low. She's the only 2025 free agent, making $500,000 or less, who averaged over 11.0 points per game last season. Now, she's taken a jump in her game, averaging 13.1 points per game and shooting at 42.6 percent from the field. She also leads all forwards in 3-pointers made with 2.5 per game. The impact she brings to the court off the bench is undeniable.
Kelsey Plum, Phoenix Mercury
Now, this one is pretty much on Plum. When resigning with Los Angeles in the offseason, she chose to take a lesser amount, so the Sparks would have more flexibility. She turned down the $1.4 million supermax deal that Los Angeles offered. She is now on a one-year, $999,999 deal. Plum was recently traded to the Phoenix Mercury, so it does leave you wondering if, in hindsight, she regrets taking less money rather than exploring other options in free agency.
While Plum decided to take a lesser deal, we can still call her underpaid. She's the only 2025 free agent making less than $1 million per year who also averaged over 19.0 points per game last season. This year, she's averaging 22.3 points, 2.2 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game. It could also be important to mention that Plum has spent some of this season on the bench due to injury. She's played in only 16 games this season.
Plum will enter this upcoming offseason as one of the biggest question marks. Will she stay in Phoenix? If so, what will her contract look like?
Kayla Thornton, Golden State Valkyries
Going into this season, Kayla Thornton being underpaid was a no-brainer. But her production has taken a bit of a hit, so we can see why the debate holds validity. Last season, Thornton averaged 14.0 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. Over the offseason, she signed a one-year, $750,000 deal, staying in Golden State. This makes her the only player averaging 14+ points per game in 2025 making less than $800,000 in 2026.
Now, there could easily be an explanation for this. The Valkyries were eyeing a big fish in free agency — Gabby Williams. Is it possible Thornton took a lesser deal for some flexibility? Of course. Despite still being a starter, she's playing fewer minutes this year. She's averaging 8.5 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. She's had a couple of games this season in which she was held scoreless, amping up the conversations about her actually being overpaid. It's important to realize that Thornton is an 11-year WNBA vet — her kind of experience in itself often results in more money, regardless of points per game. Add on the fact that she was the frontrunner for the WNBA Most Improved Player award last season, before missing the second half due to injury, I just would've expected a larger deal for Thornton.
Nneka Ogwumike, Los Angeles Sparks
Much like Kelsey Plum, Ogwumike is a player that a lot of people expected to get a supermax deal. But also like Plum, she chose to sign a lesser deal for the sake of the Sparks' flexibility. Los Angeles wanted to keep players like Dearica Hamby and Ariel Atkins — who are both signed to over $1 million deals.
It was also clear that Ogwumike was excited about returning to Los Angeles, where she spent the first 12 years of her 15-year WNBA career. She signed a one-year, $950,000 contract this past offseason. She joins Plum as the only two players who averaged more than 18.0 points per game in 2025 but make less than $1 million in 2026. This season, she is averaging 16.9 points, 8.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game.
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