Female Student-Athletes Who Make the Most NIL Money
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In 2021, it became legal for student-athletes to profit off their name, image and likeness (NIL). So, while schools still can't pay their athletes, companies can and definitely do to have these young talents represent their brands.
And it's not just taking off for male athletes. Female athletes are also cashing in on some serious endorsement deals, earning them millions in the process. Here are the ones who earn the most.
3. Paige Bueckers – $1 Million
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School: UConn
Sport: Basketball
No. of social media followers: 2.8 million
Note: Valuation numbers were sourced from an On3 report and are current through April 2024.
Bottom Line: Paige Bueckers
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Ranked as the No. 1 recruit for the class of 2019 by ESPN, Paige Bueckers has lived up to her nickname "Paige Buckets," becoming the first freshman to ever earn a major national women's college player of the year award. In fact, she earned all four she was eligible for, including the 2021 AP Player of the Year and 2021 Naismith College Player of the Year. This was the same year that she also helped lead UConn to the Final Four, setting program records for assists by a freshman.
She led the team to the Final Four again in 2024 as a junior and announced she'll be back for her senior year, even though she was predicted to be a top-three pick in the 2024 WNBA draft.
2. Flau'jae Johnson – $1.2 Million
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School: LSU
Sport: Basketball
No. of social media followers: 3.4 million
Bottom Line: Flau'jae Johnson
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Flau'jae Johnson started playing basketball at LSU in 2022 and had a knockout freshman year, helping her team win its first national championship and being named Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year. She was also a McDonald's All-American in 2022.
Her massive social media following has earned her NIL deals with Puma, Meta and Taco Bell, among other big-name brands.
1. Livvy Dunne – $3.7 Million
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School: LSU
Sport: Gymnastics
No. of social media followers: 13.2 million
Bottom Line: Livvy Dunne
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LSU gymnast Livvy Dunne makes the third-most NIL money of any student-athlete, regardless of gender. She's only behind college football's Shedeur Sanders and college basketball's Bronny James.
A large chunk of her money comes from deals with wellness and sports apparel brands, and her 13.2 million social media reach means that she can generate as much as $500,000 for just one paid post. She's been on the U.S. national gymnastics team since 2017 and joined the LSU Tigers in 2020. During that time, she was named a 2021 All-American on the uneven bars and helped the Tigers gymnastics team win their first national championship title ever during the 2023-24 season.
For more student-athletes who make serious money, check out "Top 15 Student-Athletes Who Make the Most NIL Money."