Polygraph

The average WNBA salary increased from $120,000 in 2024 to $583,000.

Posted by The Gerry Callahan Show, Checked

Polygraph verdictMixed
Sources
4 contradict1 support2 context
Said
1 time·
Confidence
60%
The Gerry Callahan ShowAug 17, 2026
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47 claimsThe check →

The $120,000 figure is the 2025 average, not 2024 as claimed, and $583,000 was a pre-season projection for 2026 rather than a realized average. USA Today's October 2026 analysis of Spotrac data puts the actual 2026 average base salary at about $518,000, so the claimed current figure is contradicted as a measured value.

A detail. The sources confirm the gist; the verdict faults a detail such as a date, number or wording.

What was said

… A fan has a shirt that says XXXY, and they tell her, You have to cover that up. These people are just insane. I just looked this up, by the way. Here's what Caitlin Clark we're going to get to Sophie but here's what Caitlin Clark has done for the league: average salary in 2024, $120,000; now, $583,000. You have people like Angel Reese, who sucks at basketball, making more than half a million a year because of the woman she hates. Ratings since Caitlin Clark came into the league: up 45%. …
The Gerry Callahan Show · · from the transcriptPost →

What we found

Contradicts. Sources identify $120,000 as the 2025 average salary, not the 2024 figure the claim gives.[2][3]

Contradicts. USA Today's analysis of Spotrac data, published October 2026, reports an actual 2026 average base salary of about $517,550, below the $583,000 projection.[4][5]

Supports. The $583,000 average was the projected 2026 average before revenue sharing under the new CBA, so the claimed increase to $583,000 matches the projection.[1][3]

Context. Sporting News cites an average of around $600,000 for 2026, and an earlier Spotrac-based figure of about $102,000 for base salaries, so estimates depend on the measure used.[6][7]

Sources

7 sources: 1 fact-checker, 1 primary, 1 tier 2, 4 not rated

  1. 1A landmark 7-year WNBA labor deal moves forward with ...apnews.com · fact-checker · cited for: supports
  2. 2From Bargaining to Breakthrough: How the WNBA’s New ...lawreview.law.miami.edu · primary source · cited for: contradicts
  3. 3A New Era for Women's Basketballtheatlantic.com · tier 2 · cited for: contradicts, supports
  4. 4Average WNBA salary 2026: How much do players make?usatoday.com · not rated · cited for: contradicts
  5. 5Average WNBA salary is $518K in 2026. Most players ...tucson.com · not rated · cited for: contradicts
  6. 6How much do WNBA players make? Highest paid, average salary ...sportingnews.com · not rated · cited for: context
  7. 7How Much Are WNBA Players Paid? All About Their ...people.com · not rated · cited for: context

Where this claim was made

Said in 1 published post

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