Napheesa Collier, Kelsey Mitchell and A’ja Wilson are the highest paid WNBA players in 2026, at $1.4 million each, the maximum salary under the collective bargaining agreement signed in March. Ezi Magbegor of the Seattle Storm is fourth at $1.25 million. Thirty-one players are paid $1 million or more this season. In 2025 nobody came close: the highest paid player, Mitchell, made $269,244.
The new agreement raised the salary cap from $1.5 million to $7.0 million per team and the top salary from $249,244 to $1.4 million (WNBA.com). That is why the table below adds a second money column, what each player was paid a year earlier. Wilson went from $200,000 to $1.4 million. Shakira Austin and Rhyne Howard, still on rookie deals in 2025, went from $91,981 to more than $1.1 million.
Highest Paid WNBA Players 2026: The Full List
| # | Player | 2026 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| T-1 | Napheesa Collier F, Lynx | $1.40M | $214K |
| T-1 | Kelsey Mitchell G, Fever | $1.40M | $269K |
| T-1 | A’ja Wilson C, Aces | $1.40M | $200K |
| 4 | Ezi Magbegor C, Storm | $1.25M | $186K |
| T-5 | Kahleah Copper G, Mercury | $1.20M | $248K |
| T-5 | Marina Mabrey G, Tempo | $1.20M | $210K |
| T-5 | Alyssa Thomas F, Mercury | $1.20M | $215K |
| T-8 | Shakira Austin C, Mystics | $1.19M | $92K |
| T-8 | Bridget Carleton G, Fire | $1.19M | $125K |
| T-8 | Allisha Gray G, Dream | $1.19M | $190K |
| T-8 | Brittney Griner C, Sun | $1.19M | $214K |
| T-8 | Sabrina Ionescu G, Liberty | $1.19M | $222K |
| T-8 | Jonquel Jones F, Liberty | $1.19M | $209K |
| T-8 | Kayla McBride G, Lynx | $1.19M | $205K |
| T-8 | Arike Ogunbowale G, Wings | $1.19M | $249K |
| T-8 | Alanna Smith F, Wings | $1.19M | $150K |
| T-8 | Breanna Stewart F, Liberty | $1.19M | $222K |
| T-8 | Brittney Sykes G, Tempo | $1.19M | $195K |
| T-8 | Courtney Williams G, Lynx | $1.19M | $180K |
| T-8 | Gabby Williams F, Valkyries | $1.19M | $225K |
| T-8 | Jackie Young G, Aces | $1.19M | $170K |
| T-22 | Dearica Hamby F, Sparks | $1.10M | $202K |
| T-22 | Rhyne Howard G, Dream | $1.10M | $92K |
| 24 | Ariel Atkins G, Sparks | $1.085M | $200K |
| T-25 | Aliyah Boston F, Fever | $1.00M | $83K |
| T-25 | Kennedy Burke G, Sun | $1.00M | $79K |
| T-25 | Temi Fagbenle C, Tempo | $1.00M | $90K |
| T-25 | Chelsea Gray G, Aces | $1.00M | $196K |
| T-25 | Brionna Jones C, Dream | $1.00M | $214K |
| T-25 | Jessica Shepard F, Wings | $1.00M | $79K |
| T-25 | Azurá Stevens F, Sky | $1.00M | $195K |
Pay is total 2026 cash, including bonuses, from Spotrac; the 2025 column is the same measure from Spotrac’s 2025 list, for whichever team paid the player that year. Tied players share a rank (T-8 means joint eighth).
Why Do Fourteen Players Earn Exactly $1.19 Million?
The agreement has two maximum tiers. $1.4 million is 20% of the cap. Below it sits the regular maximum, $1.19 million, the figure ESPN gave for elite players below the top tier (ESPN). Jackie Young re-signed with the Las Vegas Aces at that number in April (WNBA.com). Fourteen players earn it, among them Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu and Courtney Williams, which is why the middle of the table is one long tie.
The two expansion teams spent at the top of the market straight away. The Toronto Tempo signed Marina Mabrey at $1.2 million and Brittney Sykes at $1.19 million (WNBA.com), and the Portland Fire signed Bridget Carleton at $1.19 million, a player paid $125,000 by Minnesota in 2025.
Who Has the Biggest WNBA Contract?
Annual pay and contract size are different lists. Aliyah Boston of the Indiana Fever has the largest deal in WNBA history, a four-year, $6.3 million extension, but it pays her $1.0 million in 2026. Wilson has the highest average, $5 million over three years, or $1.67 million a year, because her salary rises after this season. Magbegor is third by total value at $3.75 million over three years (Yahoo Sports).
Why Is Caitlin Clark Not on the List?
Because she is still on her rookie contract. Caitlin Clark is paid $528,846 by the Fever in 2026, 58th in the league, up from $78,066 in 2025. The new agreement moved existing rookie deals onto its higher scale, reduced by 4% for each year since they were signed (ESPN). Paige Bueckers, the No. 1 pick in 2025, is paid $500,000 by the Dallas Wings. Angel Reese, the seventh pick in 2024, is on a lower rookie scale: $350,692, after Chicago traded her to the Atlanta Dream in April (WNBA.com).
The players just below the $1 million line include Nneka Ogwumike, 33rd at $950,000 with the Los Angeles Sparks, and Sophie Cunningham, who re-signed with Indiana for $665,000. Azzi Fudd, the No. 1 pick in 2026, starts on $500,000, the top of the new rookie scale.
For other leagues, see the highest paid NBA players of 2026-27, the highest paid NFL players of 2026 and the highest paid IPL players of 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the highest paid WNBA player in 2026?
Napheesa Collier of the Minnesota Lynx, Kelsey Mitchell of the Indiana Fever and A’ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces, tied at $1.4 million, the maximum salary. Over the full length of her contract, Wilson is the highest paid, at an average of $1.67 million a year.
What is the WNBA salary cap in 2026?
$7.0 million per team, up from $1.5 million in 2025, under the collective bargaining agreement signed in March 2026. It now moves each year with league revenue.
What is the WNBA max salary in 2026?
$1.4 million, 20% of the cap. A regular maximum of $1.19 million applies to most other veterans, and fourteen players earn exactly that.
How much does Caitlin Clark make in 2026?
$528,846 from the Indiana Fever, per Spotrac, on her rookie contract after it was moved onto the new scale. ESPN had projected nearly $530,000.
What is the average WNBA salary in 2026?
About $583,000 to $600,000. The league projected $583,000 when the agreement was signed; The Athletic, cited by Yahoo Sports, put it at around $600,000. In 2025 it was just over $100,000.
Published 27 October 2026. 2026 and 2025 pay from Spotrac (total cash, including bonuses), with the top five checked against Her Hoop Stats and individual deals against ESPN, WNBA.com and Yahoo Sports; salary-cap and maximum figures from the league’s announcement of the agreement; Angel Reese’s trade from WNBA.com.