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Michael Voppel
multiple authors
WNBA players had a number of issues to negotiate over their new collective bargaining agreement, some of which were more complex than others. But salaries are a currency that every employee understands, and the league will deliver historic gains in player salaries for 2026 and beyond.
The WNBA Board of Governors unanimously ratified the terms of a new collective bargaining agreement Tuesday, a day after the players also unanimously approved a seven-year CBA. But league general managers are already hard at work with limited deadlines to build their teams this season. The expansion draft for new franchises Toronto and Portland will take place on April 6, followed by the at-large free agency period expected to begin on April 7 and the collegiate/overseas draft on April 13.
Now that we have more specifics of the salary structure, here are some examples of what it would look like for players at all levels for the 2026 season, when the salary cap will be $7 million per team compared to $1.5 million in 2025.
Go to Salary: elite veteran | average experienced | least experienced | elite amateur | top draft picks
elite veteran
Example: Aja Wilson6-foot-4 center
Age to start this season: 29
Years of WNBA Experience: 8
2025 salary: $200,000
Estimated 2026 Salary: $1.4 million, supermax
Wilson won her third WNBA title and unprecedented fourth MVP award in 2025. 2018 number 1 draft pick Las Vegas AcesWilson has averaged 21.4 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in his career. The Las Vegas Journal-Review has reported that the Aces are eager to sign free agent Wilson to a supermax deal.
Last season, Wilson took a supermax salary, which was $249,244 at the time, to help the Aces afford a championship roster around him. She was not her team’s highest-paid player in 2025; he was a guard jewel lloydWhich earned $249,032.
Wilson has been so valuable and durable for the Aces that it seems likely he will get paid as much as he is allowed to this season. Additionally, the cash value for various league prizes is also increasing. If Wilson wins a fifth MVP this season, it will be worth $60,000, compared to $15,450 last year.
For other elite players, the maximum salary for 2026 will be $1.19 million.
average salary experienced
Example: alana smith6-4 ahead
Age to start this season: 29
Years of WNBA Experience: 7
2025 salary: $150,000
Estimated 2026 Salary: $600,000
The WNBA is listing an “average” salary of $583,800 in 2026, which is an estimate. Looking at how general managers structure teams under the new CBA will give us a better understanding of the true range of elite and mid-level veteran salaries.
Smith, who was selected No. 8 in 2019, spent four seasons establishing himself before really breaking through chicago sky As a starter in 2023. Over the past two seasons, she has been a big part of minnesota lynxHelped them make it to the WNBA Finals in 2024 and earned co-Defensive Player of the Year with Wilson in 2025.
Smith is a reliable veteran who is essential for a championship-seeking team. He just won an unmatched title with Mist.
minimum wage veteran
Erica Wheeler5-7 guards
Age to start this season: 35
Years of WNBA Experience: 10
2025 salary: $78,831
Estimated 2026 Salary: $300,000
Wheeler gave the veteran player minimal space last season seattle hurricaneAveraged 10.3 points and 3.3 assists. The season before that, with indiana feverHe earned $202,154 and averaged 3.6 points and 1.8 assists. He gave the same amount of effort and dedication in both situations, which partly explains his value even in his mid-30s.
Wheeler’s experience and team-first mentality can help a franchise. Plus, he still has skills on the court, as we saw during the undefeated season. The minimum for players with zero years of experience is $270,000; years one to three is $277,500; four to six years is $285,000; seven to nine years is $292,500; and 10 or more is $300,000. Wheeler would at least be in that last category.
After undrafted out of Rutgers in 2013, he had to work to earn a spot in the league. He has played an underdog mentality beautifully, including being All-Star Game MVP in 2019. The way Wheeler welcomed and treated the feverish rookie sensation Caitlin Clark The type of leadership general managers will notice in 2024.
elite rookie contract
Example: Caitlin Clark6-0 guard
Age to start this season: 24
Years of WNBA Experience: 2
2025 salary: $78,066
Estimated 2026 Salary: $530,000
The standard WNBA rookie contract is for three years, with a club option for a fourth, with players earning more for higher draft picks. The union has prioritized getting better pay for rookies arriving in 2026 and players like Clarke, whose existing rookie deals will be adjusted according to the new CBA parameters – reduced by 4% for each year since signing. For Clark, the No. 1 pick entering the third year of his rookie deal in 2024, that should be around $530,000.
And thanks to A New CBA feature called “EPIC” – Exceptional performance on initial contract – Players can renegotiate the fourth year of their rookie deal and agree to a three-year contract extension. Honors like being named to the All-WNBA first or second team could get them a max deal, or the MVP could get a supermax deal. Clark was limited to 13 games last year due to injuries. But she was All-WNBA as a rookie in 2024 and thus will be eligible for a max deal in 2027.
This CBA dramatically improves salaries for all players. For those who are still on rookie deals, the difference between what they would have got under the old CBA and what they can get now is particularly striking because of how much it increases their earning potential.
Projected 2026 No. 1 draft pick
Example: azy fad5-11 guards
Age to start this season: 23
Estimated 2026 Salary: $500,000
Fudd was age eligible for the WNBA Draft last season because she redshirted. Yukon In 2023-24. But she opted to use her final year of college eligibility and is pursuing a perfect season with the Huskies and a second consecutive NCAA championship. She would benefit from starting her WNBA career under the new CBA.
The rookie salary scale for 2026 starts at $500,000 for the No. 1 pick. The second pick gets $466,913, the third gets $436,016, etc., ending at $289,133 for the final seven picks in the first round. Second- and third-round picks and other rookies receive $270,000.
WNBA Draft set for April 13 dallas wings To be the number 1 pick. fad, awa fam of spain and TCU‘S olivia miles Projected as a top three selection in ESPN’s most recent mock draft.
