$7 million. That is each WNBA team’s salary cap for 2026, up from $1.5 million a year earlier, under a seven-year collective bargaining agreement the league announced on March 20, 2026. Nearly every WNBA contract story this year, from a record supermax to a rookie’s first paycheck, is measured against that number.
Here is what the league and the union actually published, and what is still a projection.
What Changed, From the League’s Own Release
The WNBA’s announcement lists the headline terms. We have kept to its figures:
| Term | 2025 | 2026 | 2032 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Team salary cap | $1.5M | $7.0M | not published |
| Maximum salary | n/a | $1.4M | more than $2.4M (projected) |
| Minimum salary | n/a | $270K-$300K | $340K-$380K |
| Average salary | n/a | $583K (expected) | over $1M (projected) |
The cap is no longer a number negotiated once; it adjusts each year with league and team revenue. The league describes the system as the first comprehensive revenue-sharing model in women’s professional sports and projects “more than $1 billion in player salaries and benefits” over the seven years. Those are the league’s projections.
Ratification
The deal was tentative on March 20. The Associated Press’s Doug Feinberg reported that players approved it unanimously and the Board of Governors ratified it unanimously on Tuesday, March 24, 2026. The agreement covers the 2026 through 2032 seasons.
Rookies and the Fast Track to a Max
The league projects the No. 1 pick in 2026 will earn $500,000 under a new rookie scale, and says existing rookie-scale contracts are being adjusted upward. A separate provision, which a University at Buffalo-affiliated sports law blog calls EPIC (Exceptional Performance on Initial Contract), gives rookie-scale players who win MVP or make All-WNBA First or Second Team an expedited path to maximum-level contracts. The league’s release describes the fast track but does not use the name.
Starting in 2027, players with seven or more years of service cannot be designated Core Players, per the league.
Beyond the Paycheck
The release also lists changes that do not show up in a salary line: league-wide charter air travel, enhanced facility standards, larger bonuses for award winners and playoff and Finals participants, expanded team 401(k) contributions, enhanced benefits for players with children or who are family planning, and recognition payments for veterans and retirees. Rosters carry a minimum of 12 players plus two developmental spots, and the schedule grows to up to 50 games in 2027 and 2028 and up to 52 from 2029 through 2032.
What the Sources Don’t Settle
- Later-year caps. The league gave no cap figures past 2026. One outside analysis projects the cap passing $10 million by the final year, but that is not a league number.
- Salary lines that differ. Outlets quote slightly different minimums and averages. We used the league’s own ranges.
- The long-form agreement. The AP reported the sides still had to finalize it after ratification; we have not seen the full text.
Where It Shows Up
The structure explains the contracts we have covered. A’ja Wilson’s deal pays the $1.4 million base in 2026 and then scales to a share of Las Vegas’s cap, as detailed in our supermax breakdown. For the rookie side, see Caitlin Clark’s net worth, and for how WNBA pay compares with the wider field, our highest-paid female athletes ranking.
More from Absolute Baller:
- A’ja Wilson’s WNBA Supermax Contract
- Caitlin Clark Net Worth
- Highest-Paid Female Athletes 2026
- NBA Salary Cap 2026-27 Explained
- 2026 Sports Contracts Tracker
Frequently Asked
What is the WNBA salary cap in 2026?
$7.0 million per team, according to the league's March 20, 2026 announcement of the new collective bargaining agreement. That is nearly five times the $1.5 million cap of 2025. The cap adjusts annually with league and team revenue growth, and the league did not publish figures for later years in that release.
What is the WNBA maximum salary in 2026?
$1.4 million, per the league. The league projects the maximum will exceed $2.4 million by 2032; that is a projection based on current financial forecasts, not a contracted number.
What is the WNBA minimum salary in 2026?
Between $270,000 and $300,000 depending on years of service, per the league's release. The same release lists $340,000 to $380,000 for 2032.
How much does the No. 1 pick make?
The league projects $500,000 for the No. 1 overall pick in 2026 under a new rookie scale. Rookie-scale players who win MVP or make All-WNBA First or Second Team get an expedited route to maximum-level contracts, a provision known as EPIC.
Was the new WNBA CBA ratified?
Yes. The Associated Press reported that players approved it unanimously on Monday, March 23, 2026, and the league's Board of Governors ratified it unanimously the next day, March 24. It runs through the 2032 season.