Dani Gibson became the most expensive player in the history of the women's Hundred during today's auction, with Sunrisers Leeds winning a bidding war to secure her for £190,000.
Gibson was in the first set of names to come under the gavel during the inaugural auction and a bidding war between Sunrisers and Welsh Fire quickly unfolded. The hammer fell with Gibson falling just short of the £200,000 mark, and becoming the most expensive player in women's Hundred history. That record, however, was quickly overtaken when both Beth Mooney and Sophie Devine picking up £210,000 deals.
That still makes Gibson the most expensive domestic player in the history of the women's Hundred, with her value from last year almost quadrupling. Playing for London Spirit in 2025, Gibson was contracted under the second-highest salary bracket of £50,000. The highest paid female players in last year's competition were paid £65,000, showing a seismic increase in certain player values at least, since the ECB sold their share in the franchises to private investors.
There was some surprise, however, that Gibson fetched such a high salary. England captain and fellow seam-bowling allrounder Nat Sciver-Brunt was signed to Trent Rockets ahead of the auction, with her salary set at £140,000. That means Gibson is set to earn £50,000 more than Sciver-Brunt during the competition. Sciver-Brunt is one of the highest paid players in the WPL, having been retained for 3.5 crore in 2026, while Gibson was bought for 30 lakh (less than a tenth of that amount) in 2025.
Gibson has also spent much of the last year out injured after suffering a stress fracture in her back. She featured in the latest WBBL as a batter only, scoring 170 runs in 11 matches.
Why did Dani Gibson fetch £190,000 in The Hundred auction?
Gibson has been highly rated in the England set-up since she first came through in 2023. Speaking after selecting Gibson for the 2024 T20 World Cup, Heather Knight – captain of Gibson at London Spirit at the time – said: "We saw the game she played at Lord's, a reverse-sweep to go and win the game against Australia last year, and that's the sort of mindset that we want in that England side: the willingness to take risks, take the game on and express what your talent, and Dani epitomises that... She's a great ball-striker. She's got real clarity about how she wants to play and that's exactly what we want for her."
Auctions normally operate on a supply and demand basis, where the fewer players who fill a specific role there are, the more money those who do fit that role will go for. Gibson was the only seam-bowling all-rounder in the domestic marquee set of players, who were the first set read out in the auction. Moreover, she was the only domestic seam-bowling all-rounder available in the first eight sets of players on the auction list, with Em Arlott and Alice Davidson-Richards the only other two available in the first 'hero' round of the auction.
While there were overseas seam-bowling all-rounders available, like Nadine de Klerk who was bought by London Spirit for £170,000, given that only four overseas players are allowed per side, having a domestic player in that role is more valuable. Added to that, all-rounders are normally more prized at auctions in general, as they allow teams to balance their sides and get two roles in one.
Gibson will be the second seam-bowling all-rounder in Sunrisers' squad, as they pre-signed Australian star Annabel Sutherland ahead of the auction.
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