The WNBA’s new collective bargaining agreement is transforming what it means to be a professional women’s basketball player. The salary figures that have emerged since the term sheet was signed on Friday make it abundantly clear. For a league where the minimum salary was $66,079 just a year ago, the numbers represent a complete reset.
What the New WNBA CBA Salary Figures Mean for Players
ESPN’s Alexa Philippou reported the full breakdown of the new salary structure.
- The maximum salary will be $1.4 million in 2026, projected to reach $2.4 million by 2032.
- The average salary starts at $583,000 in 2026 and is projected to exceed $1 million over the seven-year term of the deal.
- The minimum salary, tiered by years of service, will range from $270,000 to $300,000 in 2026 and is projected to climb to between $340,000 and $380,000 by 2032.
For context, the salary cap itself jumps from $1.5 million in 2025 to $7 million in 2026, with projections suggesting it could exceed $10 million by the end of the agreement. The average revenue share across the deal will be nearly 20%, the first time in league history that player salaries have been tied to a meaningful share of league revenue.
WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert called the agreement “a defining moment in the WNBA’s 30-year history and all of women’s professional sports,” while WNBPA executive director Terri Carmichael Jackson was equally direct: “When players win, the league wins. This agreement delivers what players set out to do from the beginning, transforming the economics of this league.”
One of the most significant additions to the new CBA is the Exceptional Performance on Initial Contract (EPIC) clause, which allows players to renegotiate their fourth-year salary based on award achievements in the first three years of their careers.
Players who earn All-WNBA First or Second Team honors become eligible for the standard max, while those named league MVP can access the supermax.
Caitlin Clark is one of the most prominent beneficiaries. After earning just $78,066 last season, Clark’s salary is projected to jump to $530,000 in 2026.
Having been named to the 2024 All-WNBA First Team, she could then earn the projected max of $1.3 million in 2027 before signing a $1.7 million supermax in 2028. This can potentially lock her in with the Indiana Fever through 2030.
Paige Bueckers and Aliyah Boston are also eligible under the EPIC provision, with Boston potentially qualifying for a max deal as soon as this season.
What Else to Know About the WNBA’s New CBA
The financial transformation extends well beyond the headline salary numbers. Charter air travel has been codified into the agreement, along with enhanced team facility and staffing standards.
Team-provided housing will be available to all players through 2028, transitioning in subsequent years to cover players earning $500,000 or less. Championship bonuses have also seen a dramatic increase, with the 2026 WNBA champions expected to receive $60,000 each, nearly three times the $22,908 the Las Vegas Aces received after winning the title in 2025.
Retirement benefits have been expanded as well. Now, teams will be required to carry 12 players alongside two new developmental roster spots that do not count against the salary cap.
The WNBA regular season will also expand under the new deal, from 44 games in 2026 to up to 50 games in 2027 and 2028, and as many as 52 games from 2029 through 2032. Although the deal still requires ratification by both the players and the WNBA Board of Governors, it is expected to happen shortly. The 2026 season remains on schedule to tip off on May 8.
