The first-ever auction for the Women's Hundred took place today (March 11), shattering records for the highest paid players in the competition's history.
Dani Gibson became the highest paid player ever in the women's Hundred, before Sophie Devine and Beth Mooney quickly overtook her. Both Devine and Mooney were sold for £210,000 to Welsh Fire and Trent Rockets respectively.
The auction format marked a change from the draft system used for previous editions, with a massive £145,000 difference between the highest-paid players in 2025 and 2026. Salary pots expanded by 100 per cent from what they were last year for the women's competition, with teams maximum budget sitting at £880,000.
While the highest salaries tipped over £200,000 in the auction, salaries for players who chose to pre-sign for sides were lower. England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt was signed ahead of the auction by Trent Rockets, with he salary for the competition £140,000.
Despite suffering with injury for most of 2025, and playing the WBBL as a specialist batter as she continues to recover from a stress fracture in her back, Gibson was the early surprise. Among other highly bid for players was Issy Wong, who went to Southern Brave for £130,000, while 18-year-old left-arm spinner Tilly Corteen-Coleman was one of the most eye-catching picks of the day, securing a £105,000 deal also with Southern Brave.
Notable overseas signings included South Africa all-rounder Nadine de Klerk, who went to London Spirit for £170,000, while India all-rounder Deepti Sharma was a surprise lower deal, sold to Sunrisers Leeds for her base price of £27,500.
The Women's Hundred auction 2026 – top 10 most expensive players
Beth Mooney – Trent Rockets, £210,000
Sophie Devine – Welsh Fire, £210,000
Dani Gibson – Sunrisers Leeds, £190,000
Nadine de Klerk – London Spirit, £170,000
Issy Wong – Southern Brave, £130,000
Paige Scholfield – Manchester Super Giants, £115,000
Jess Jonassen – Sunrisers Leeds, £110,000
Em Arlott – Welsh Fire, £110,000
Tilly Corteen-Coleman – Southern Brave, £105,000
Linsey Smith – Birmingham Phoenix, £100,000
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