If you’re a fan of the WNBA, then you probably already know that Skylar Diggins-Smith is a force to be reckoned with on the court. But did you know that she is also one of the highest-paid players in the history of the league? That’s right, Skylar Diggins-Smith has earned her spot at the top of the list of highest-paid WNBA players of all time.
It’s no surprise that Diggins-Smith has managed to accumulate such an impressive paycheck throughout her career. With her incredible skills and undeniable talent, she has become one of the most recognizable and popular players in the league.
The highest-paid WNBA player this season is the Las Vegas Aces’ Jackie Youn, who is making $252,450 annually on a two-year $504,900 contract. But when it comes to the highest earner of all time in the WNBA, that distinction belongs to Skylar Diggins-Smith.
Thanks to a four-year ‘supermax’ extension worth $899,4,90, which she signed with the Dallas Wings, Diggins-Smith is the highest-earning player of all time in the WNBA. Thru last season, the nine-year veteran has a career earnings of $1,356,700.00.
SDS’ 2020 deal is the richest contract in league history. It was also the same deal that DeWanna Bonner and Elena Delle Donne signed that same year with the Connecticut Sun and Washington Mystics, respectively. The 2014 WNBA Most Improved Player is set to make $208,219.00 this season and $214,466.00 in 2,025, which will put more dollars into her total.
The only other player to hit the $1.3 million mark is 2021 WNBA champion Courtney Vandersloot of the New York Liberty who has played 13 seasons in the league. The 35-year-old has a career earnings of $1,352,500 and is currently on a two-year deal worth $383,670.00.
Two-time MVP Ellena Delle Donne is third on the list,t with total earnings of $1,243,700.00. As mentioned above, she was one of the three players who signed the ‘supermax’ in 202,0, which padded her career total. Last February, Delle Donne announced that she was ‘stepping away’ from basketball for an undetermined amount of time.
Next on the list is the Phoenix Mercury’s Brittney Griner. The No.1 overall pick of the 2013 Draft has made a total of $1,168,450.00 during her first nine years in the WNBA. The 33-year-old is currently on a one-year guaranteed deal worth $150,000. It can be recalled that Griner was arrested and detained in Russia for ten months after she was caught carrying small amounts of cannabis oil.
Completing the Top 5 highest-earners in the WNBA is the Mercury’s Diana Taurasi. The 41-year-old has made an aggregate of $1,150,480.00 in 18 WNBA seasons played. The No.1 pick of the 2004 WNBA Draft is in the final year of a two-year $469,872.00 deal with Phoenix.
So, as we celebrate Skylar Diggins-Smith’s impressive accomplishments and her status as the highest-earning WNBA player of all time, let’s also recognize her for the trailblazer that she is. With her talent, drive, and determination, there’s no telling how far she can go in her career. And who knows, maybe she’ll even set a new record for earnings in the WNBA.
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