What was Brittney Griner's salary in the most recent WNBA season she played in? Here are all the details

Brittney Griner's salary is the least of her concerns at the moment. The WNBA superstar was sentenced to nine years in a Russian prison and it may take a while before she plays basketball again.

Considering that she's one of the best female basketball players in the world, it's a shame that fans cannot watch her anymore. However, the superstar and her friends and family are hoping that she will be released soon.

This article will reveal Brittney Griner's salary from the most recent WNBA season she played in. The Phoenix Mercury center signed a three-year extension in 2020, which is worth $664,544 in total.

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Brittney Griner's salary in her last WNBA season

Brittney Griner's salary is a big reason why she played overseas (Image via Getty Images)

The NBA and WNBA are two similar leagues, yet the difference in salaries is almost unbelievable. The NBA is much more successful, so it makes sense for players like Steph Curry and LeBron James to make almost $50 million per year from their contracts.

However, WNBA's top-tier players don't even make half a million a year. In fact, Griner's salary was less than a quarter of a million, which sounds shockingly low.

In her most recent season in the WNBA, Brittney Griner's salary was $215,000. This was the first year of her three-year extension with the Phoenix Mercury and was much better than her previous contract.

Despite being one of the best players, Griner's salary was shockingly low (Image via Getty Images)

Her previous contract with the team lasted for four years. During this period, Brittney Griner's salary was $138,500 on average, for a total of $554,000.

Griner appeared in 30 games for the Mercury last season, averaging 20.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game. She also shot 57.5% from the field, one of the best marks of her career.

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Overseas salaries and comparison to NBA

Brittney Griner and Diana Taurasi both played in Russia (Image via Getty Images)

Brittney Griner's salary is a huge reason why she decided to play overseas. Her first professional contract outside of the United States was in China. Griner signed with the Zhejiang Golden Bulls, receiving $600,000 for her services.

To put this into perspective, the superstar's contract in China was 12 times bigger than her rookie contract in the WNBA. After China, the Olympian gold medalist took her talents to Russia, signing a contract with UMMC Ekaterinburg.

Griner teamed up with Diana Taurasi, her Mercury teammate, as they led the Russian team to back-to-back championships. She reportedly made $1 million for every season played in Russia.

Brittney Griner has spent a lot of time playing overseas (Image via Getty Images)

Unfortunately, the talented basketball player was detained in Russia and was sentenced to nine years in prison. Considering that the WNBA is not profitable, it will be a while until its players start making millions.

In contrast, the minimum contract in the NBA for the 2022-23 season is slightly more than $1 million.