WNBA is investigating Aces for $100,000 sponsorship for each player

The WNBA is investigating the two-time defending champion Las Vegas Aces after every player on the roster received a $100,000 sponsorship deal.

On Friday, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority announced it will sponsor each player with a two-year contract that will pay the player $100,000. The organization released a video on social media in which the leadership also announced this to the players.

In the video, Tourism Authority President and CEO Steve Hill told players: “The offer is really simple: We want you to just play, we want you to keep representing Las Vegas, and if you get a threesome, that would be it “the icing on the cake.”

The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that each player signed a contract that would provide them with “consensual opportunities to perform on behalf of Las Vegas” and that they would be given clothing to wear to promote the city.

However, each player signed a contract to “reach mutually agreeable opportunities for performances on behalf of Las Vegas.” The LVCVA also provides the players with Las Vegas-related gear to wear to promote the city.

The deals were negotiated directly with each player’s agent, the agency said, rather than through the team, to avoid violating the WNBA’s salary cap rules. According to the authority, the team had no knowledge of the deal. However, a WNBA spokesperson confirmed to USA TODAY Sports that the league has opened an investigation into the matter.

Why is the WNBA investigating the Las Vegas Aces?

The league has not indicated why it is investigating the Aces, but it likely could be related to whether the deal actually violates the salary cap, even though the sponsorship is similar to a NIL (Name, Imagine and Likeness) deal for a college athlete. ESPN reported the league will examine whether the deal “violates the spirit of the cap rules” because it would give the team a recruiting advantage and additional incentive for players to sign with Las Vegas.

The WNBA’s salary cap is $1.4 million, and the contract with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority totals $1.2 million for the team.

The deal also includes more money than half the roster makes on their WNBA contract; According to Spotrac, six of the 12 players on the roster make less than $100,000. A’ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum are the top earners at $200,000 each, while rookies Dyaisha Fair and Kate Martin will make $67,249 this season, the lowest on the team, according to the website.

Guard Sydney Colson, who makes $76,535 according to Spotrac, said on social media it was “a life-changing investment.”

“We are SO grateful and love representing this city!” she said.

Aces coach, players respond to investigation

Reports of the investigation surfaced during Las Vegas’ home win against the Los Angeles Sparks on Saturday. After the game, head coach Becky Hammon was asked about the deal. She noted that the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority wanted the entire team sponsored and that no team or front office staff were contacted.

“From what I understand, they wanted the whole team. So they called individuals and agents,” Hammon said. “I don’t know the details. I have nothing to do with it. The Aces have nothing to do with it. It’s just weird, but that’s basically what happened.”

Wilson said she learned about the investigation after the game and was confused by it.

“I don’t understand the investigation,” Wilson said. “I haven’t gone deeper into the matter yet. I just looked at my phone and thought, ‘Oh, wow, just another day in the life of the Aces.’ We can never just start normal, something will always happen and that’s okay.”

Wilson added on social media: “What happened to the development of the game?”

Las Vegas was investigated by the WNBA ahead of the 2023 season. Hammon was suspended without pay for the first two games of the season and the team lost a 2025 first-round draft pick after the league ruled the Aces violated workplace policies and league rules regarding player benefits. The WNBA said the Aces promised improper benefits in contract extension negotiations with former forward Dearica Hamby, and Hammon made comments to Hamby about her pregnancy.

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