The WNBA is set for a significant transformation of its salary structure. The salary cap for 2026 is set at $7 million, a substantial increase from $1.5 million in 2025. Concurrently, the supermax salary will rise to $1.4 million (up from $249,244 in 2025), representing a 5.6-fold increase. The average salary is projected to reach approximately $583,000 (compared to $120,000 in 2025), and minimum salaries, which vary by years of service, will range from $270,000 to $300,000 (up from $66,079 in 2025).
These changes will directly impact athletes, notably Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark. After being named 2024 Rookie of the Year and earning $78,066 in 2025, her salary is set to skyrocket. It is projected to be $530,000 in 2026. By 2027, as a former All-WNBA player, she could command the maximum salary of $1.3 million. Finally, in 2028, she could sign a supermax contract worth $1.7 million.
Another crucial aspect of recent negotiations concerned player housing. Although teams have consistently provided housing since the WNBA’s first collective bargaining agreement in 1999, the league initially omitted this provision from its proposals. Following discussions, it was agreed that housing will be provided for all players during the first three years of the new agreement. Subsequently, from 2029 and 2030, it will only be offered to players earning $500,000 or less. After 2030, only housing for development players will be covered.
