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Every single player on the Las Vegas Aces will get paid $100,000 through the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) during the 2025 WNBA season. The two-time league champion is daring the powers that exist to do something about its unique and lucrative partnership with the city.
An investigation that started more than 12 months ago has yet to come to a conclusion. Both of the involved parties are acting as if it does not exist.
The average salary for a WNBA player in 2025 hovers around $130,000. Salary structures range from a minimum of $62,285 to a maximum of $249,244. A majority fall closer to the latter than the former.
This unique partnership between the Aces and the Convention and Visitors Authority grants an additional six figures to every single player on the team that chooses to sign the agreement. According to LVCVA president Steve Hill, it appears as though all 12 athletes opted-in to the sponsorship. They get paid to promote the city while they live in Las Vegas during the season. A’ja Wilson, Jewell Loyd, Chelsea Gray, Kiah Stokes and Crystal Bradford attended Janet Jackson’s residency at Resorts World last week as part of the agreement. Head coach Becky Hammon was there too!
This partnership between Las Vegas and the Aces first came to exist last season. This is the second year.
However, the WNBA supposedly opened an investigation into the organization one day after the LVCVA announced the first set of sponsorships in May 2024. It had previously investigated claims that the Aces circumvented the salary cap with under-the-table payments in 2023. Its latest probe was likely focused on similar concerns. Did the team arrange the $1.2 million deal as a behind-the-scenes inducement? Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said there were still no updates to the investigation as of April of this year. Hill and the LVCVA decided to move forward.
I don’t know the inner workings of the league. I’m not looking to cause more of an issue, and it doesn’t seem like there’s an issue there. So we’re just moving forward.
— LVCVA president Steve Hill, via Las Vegas Review-Journal
Las Vegas pays $100,000 to 12 players in return for their partnership with the city. Hill and the LVCVA were obviously thrilled about how things went in 2024. They decided to dare the WNBA to do something and run it back. If they haven’t heard anything about last year, why not move forward this year?
The WNBA has yet to comment on the new sponsorship agreement. It has not announced any further updates about the investigation.