Who Has the Highest WNBA Contract in 2026?

The gap between the contractual salaries of NBA and WNBA players has been a topic of debate over the last decade. While the gap was a lot wider previously, the recent Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) has led to the highest WNBA salary contracts going into the 7-figure territory.

A’ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces has the highest WNBA contract after signing a three-year $5 million deal. While the contract value puts her at an average annual salary of $1.67 million, her reported salary is $1.4 million. The question of who is the highest-paid WNBA player has three answers, with A’ja Wilson, Napheesa Collier, and Kelsey Mitchell all earning $1.4 million each.

Highest-Paid WNBA Players in 2026

After the CBA came into effect, there has been a dramatic shift in what the highest-paid WNBA players walk away with. While A’ja Wilson leads the charge, other players such as Sabrina Ionescu of the New York Liberty and Kahleah Copper of the Phoenix Mercury have also made the cut.

Here are the 10 top-paid WNBA players with respect to their average annual value:

The most paid WNBA players now include more than 20 players who have contracts valued at more than $1 million on average following the CBA.

A’ja Wilson

A’ja Wilson’s WNBA salary is reported to be $1.4 million for the 2026 season, making her the highest-paid player on the list, alongside contemporaries Collier and Mitchell. Given that her three-year WNBA contract is worth $5 million, her average salary per year turns out to be $1.67 million, thus making her the highest-paid WNBA player.

Other Top-Paid WNBA Players

Kelsey Mitchell and Napheesa Collier both have one-year supermax contracts worth $1.4 million and land in the second and third spots, respectively. Coming in fourth is Seattle Storm’s Ezi Magbegor, as she has a 3-year WNBA contract worth $3.75 million.

The New York Liberty’s Sabrina Ionescu has a three-year $3.74 million contract, tying with the Portland Fire’s Bridget Carleton, the Dallas Wings’ Alanna Smith, and the Golden State Valkyries’ Gabby Williams.

The Atlanta Dream’s Allisha Gray has a three-year contract worth approximately $3.7 million at the ninth spot, while the Phoenix Mercury’s Kahleah Copper breaks the trend with a $2.46 million contract, rounding out the top 10 list of the highest-paid WNBA players. Major contracts also make up some of the major insights bettors use across the best US sports betting sites, since they indicate roster expectations before a new season.

What Is the Largest WNBA Contract Ever?

Ever since the CBA came into effect, we’ve seen some of the latest WNBA contracts ever in 2026. A’ja Wilson still retains the top spot, since her 3-year $5 million deal is the highest WNBA contract it has ever been for any player.

This is the case on an individual basis as well, where Wilson’s annual average of $1.67 million sets a WNBA contract record as well. When we look at the highest WNBA salary on a base level, Wilson, Mitchel, and Collier are tied at $1.4 million.

How Much Do WNBA Players Make?

The difference between what WNBA players used to make and what they make after the CBA is quite high. It’s a great leap forward for the league, as previously, the highest WNBA salaries averaged somewhere around $250,000 annually, but currently, even the minimum salaries exceed $270,000.

However, how much WNBA players make in a year as per their contract doesn’t include other components, such as their performance bonuses, endorsement deals, earnings from other basketball tournaments, and more.

Average, Minimum and Maximum WNBA Salaries

As per the WNBA itself, the average WNBA salary is projected at $583,000 in 2026, although the individual earnings go from $270,000 (the lowest tier) to $1.4 million (players with multi-year deals and supermax contracts). According to the CBA, the WNBA team salary cap has increased to $7 million, which means every player gets to benefit.

When we discuss the WNBA maximum salary, the $1.4 million figure is special, since supermax contracts are a separate category available only to eligible players, and not to every veteran in the team. If we’re talking about the WNBA maximum salary for players not in supermax contracts, the figure is $1.19 million.

As for the WNBA minimum salary, it’s decided on the level of experience a player has. While a player with no experience holds a minimum cap of $270,000, the CBA has higher minimum caps of $300,000 in place for players with some experience.

The WNBA rookie salary functions across the draft scale, where the No. 1 rookie pick received $500,000 in the first year, while the second and third selections receive about $466,913 and $436,016, respectively. As you might be noticing, the salaries tend to decline the lower the player is in terms of their draft position.

All the salary arithmetic fits within the $7 million WNBA salary cap for an entire team, and since the WNBA supermax salary accounts for 20% of that amount ($1.4 million), salaries of other players make up the remaining 80%.

Why WNBA Salaries Vary

As we’ve discussed, WNBA salaries factor in performance, player experience, draft experience, and contract status. All these influence the salary potential for each player, and since most player categories function across a fixed cap (such as rookie contracts), there’s more room for negotiation when it comes to veteran contracts.

Free agency for veteran players also allows them to have a better bargaining position, especially when several teams have sufficient cap space to make desirable offers. While cap space may be beneficial for some WNBA players, it might lead to other players receiving a smaller offer because the team has a limited cap room.

The same factors and dynamics are used throughout the NBA as well, where, for instance, the youngest teams in the NBA would consider age, status of contracts, and long-term development when determining player salaries.

Individual WNBA Player Salaries

We’ve discussed how the salary for WNBA players is decided, what the maximum and minimum salaries are for rookie and veteran players, and more. To recap, we’ll discuss exactly what the top-paid WNBA players are making.

What Is Courtney Williams’ Salary?

Williams is back with the Minnesota Lynx, the team she helped reach multiple WNBA Finals consecutively in the 2026 season. Courtney Williams’ salary is $1.19 million, with a two-year maximum contract worth around $2.4 million.

What Is Brittney Griner’s WNBA Salary?

Brittney Griner’s WNBA salary is $1.19 million under her one-year contract with the Connecticut Sun. Griner’s one-year deal would allow her to return to free agency after finishing her contract, and it’s a beneficial position since she’d have more room for bargaining within the new salary structure.

What Is Sabrina Ionescu’s Salary?

Sabrina Ionescu’s three-year New York Liberty contract is worth $3,748,500, which gives her an average annual value of $1,249,500 as the salary rises over the remaining seasons. Ionescu accepted the standard maximum instead of the $1.4 million supermax, since there’s a hard cap on the total team spending.

What Is Breanna Stewart’s WNBA Salary?

Breanna Stewart’s WNBA salary is also $1.19 million for 2026. Like Ionescu, she signed a three-year, $3,748,500 deal with an average annual value of $1,249,500. She also opted for the standard maximum in place of a supermax contract, thus allowing the New York Liberty some room under the cap for other players.

What Is A’ja Wilson’s WNBA Salary?

A’ja Wilson’s WNBA salary is $1.4 million in 2026, matching the league’s supermax figure. Her three-year Las Vegas Aces contract is worth $5 million in total and averages approximately $1.67 million per season once scheduled increases come into effect. That makes Wilson the highest-paid WNBA player by both total contract value and average annual value.