The WNBA is investigating the Las Vegas Aces after every player on the team received a $100,000 sponsorship deal. The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) announced on Friday that it would sponsor each player on a two-year deal worth $100,000. A video posted on social media showed LVCVA president and CEO Steve Hill telling the players about the offer, stating, “We want you to just play, we want you to keep repping Las Vegas, and if you get a three-peat, that’d be icing on the cake.”
The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that each player signed a contract to “reach mutually agreeable opportunities for appearances on Las Vegas’ behalf” and would receive Las Vegas-themed gear to promote the city. The deals were made directly with the players’ agents to avoid breaking WNBA salary cap rules, and the team was not involved, according to the LVCVA. Despite this, the WNBA confirmed it has opened an investigation into the matter.
While the league did not specify the reason for the investigation, it likely concerns whether the deal violates the salary cap, despite being structured like a name, image, and likeness (NIL) deal for college athletes. ESPN reported that the league is examining if the deal “violates the spirit of the cap rules” by providing the team with a recruiting advantage and an extra incentive for players to sign with Las Vegas. The WNBA salary cap is $1.4 million, and the deal with the LVCVA totals $1.2 million for the team.
The sponsorship deal exceeds the WNBA contracts of over half the roster; six of the 12 players make under $100,000. A’ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum are the top earners at $200,000 each, while rookies Dyaisha Fair and Kate Martin make $67,249, the lowest on the team. Guard Sydney Colson, who makes $76,535, called the deal “a life-changing investment” on social media, expressing appreciation and pride in representing Las Vegas.
The investigation was reported during Las Vegas’ home win over the Los Angeles Sparks on Saturday. Head coach Becky Hammon stated that the LVCVA wanted to sponsor the entire team and that neither team staff nor front office personnel were contacted. “From what I understand, they wanted the whole team. So they went and called individuals, agents,” Hammon said. “I don’t know the details. I have nothing to do with it. The Aces don’t have anything to do with it. It’s just odd, but that’s basically what happened.”
A’ja Wilson expressed confusion about the investigation, saying, “I don’t understand the investigation. I haven’t dived into it yet. I just looked at my phone and was like, ‘Oh, wow, just another day in the life of the Aces.’ We can’t ever start just normal, it’s always going to be something, and that’s OK.” On social media, she added, “What happened to growing the game?”
This is not the first time Las Vegas has faced a WNBA investigation. Before the 2023 season, Hammon was suspended for two games without pay, and the team lost a 2025 first-round draft pick for violating workplace policies and league rules regarding player benefits. The WNBA found that the Aces promised impermissible benefits in contract extension negotiations with former forward Dearica Hamby, and Hammon made comments to Hamby related to her pregnancy.
Las Vegas, aiming for the first WNBA Finals three-peat since the Houston Comets’ four consecutive titles from 1997-2000, is currently 2-0 this season.
Contributing: Jeff Zillgitt