Top 20 Highest-Paid WNBA Players in 2026

A’ja Wilson, Kelsey Mitchell and Napheesa Collier are tied as the highest-paid WNBA players in 2026, with a league salary of $1.4 million each. This is the first season under a much richer collective bargaining agreement, so almost every pre-2026 salary list is now obsolete.

A player can be the league’s biggest commercial star without having its largest basketball salary. This ranking counts WNBA contract pay—not shoe deals, advertisements, Unrivaled pay or overseas earnings.

Highest-paid WNBA players in 2026

Rank	Player	Team	2026 salary	Contract context
T-1	Napheesa Collier	Minnesota Lynx	$1.40m	Supermaximum
T-1	Kelsey Mitchell	Indiana Fever	$1.40m	Supermaximum
T-1	A’ja Wilson	Las Vegas Aces	$1.40m	Supermaximum
4	Ezi Magbegor	Seattle Storm	$1.25m	Above regular maximum
T-5	Kahleah Copper	Phoenix Mercury	$1.20m	Near-maximum deal
T-5	Marina Mabrey	Toronto Tempo	$1.20m	Near-maximum deal
T-5	Alyssa Thomas	Phoenix Mercury	$1.20m	Near-maximum deal
T-8	Shakira Austin	Washington Mystics	$1.19m	Regular maximum tier
T-8	Bridget Carleton	Portland Fire	$1.19m	Regular maximum tier
T-8	Allisha Gray	Atlanta Dream	$1.19m	Regular maximum tier
T-8	Brittney Griner	Connecticut Sun	$1.19m	Regular maximum tier
T-8	Sabrina Ionescu	New York Liberty	$1.19m	Regular maximum tier
T-8	Jonquel Jones	New York Liberty	$1.19m	Regular maximum tier
T-8	Kayla McBride	Minnesota Lynx	$1.19m	Regular maximum tier
T-8	Arike Ogunbowale	Dallas Wings	$1.19m	Regular maximum tier
T-8	Alanna Smith	Dallas Wings	$1.19m	Regular maximum tier
T-8	Breanna Stewart	New York Liberty	$1.19m	Regular maximum tier
T-8	Brittney Sykes	Toronto Tempo	$1.19m	Regular maximum tier
T-8	Courtney Williams	Minnesota Lynx	$1.19m	Regular maximum tier
T-8	Gabby Williams	Golden State Valkyries	$1.19m	Regular maximum tier
T-8	Jackie Young	Las Vegas Aces	$1.19m	Regular maximum tier

There is no honest way to break either major tie using 2026 salary. Three players share first, while 14 share eighth. That produces 21 players in a top-20 salary article: omitting Jackie Young—or any other member of the $1.19 million group—would create an arbitrary cutoff unsupported by pay.

The table is checked to 18 August 2026. Contracts can change, which is why the year and snapshot date belong beside the figures.

1. A’ja Wilson — $1.4 million

Wilson’s reported three-year, $5 million agreement keeps her in Las Vegas through 2028. It starts at $1.4 million in 2026, rises to $1.65 million in 2027 and reaches $1.95 million in 2028.

That structure gives her both elite annual pay and multiyear security. She shares the 2026 lead, then becomes the highest-paid player on contracts publicly reported for 2027.

Her résumé makes the investment unsurprising. Wilson entered the agreement as a multiple-time MVP, champion and Defensive Player of the Year—the kind of franchise player the new maximum was designed to reward.

1. Kelsey Mitchell — $1.4 million

Mitchell signed a one-year, $1.4 million maximum contract with Indiana. The shorter term provides less guaranteed money than Wilson’s deal but lets Mitchell return to the market sooner.

That flexibility has value in a growing league. The cap will adjust with revenue under the new CBA. A long-term contract offers certainty; a short one preserves exposure to the next rise.

The deal also recognizes Mitchell’s importance beyond the attention around one famous teammate. She has been a durable, high-volume scorer and a central piece of Indiana’s backcourt.

1. Napheesa Collier — $1.4 million

Collier also chose a one-year maximum deal. She matches Wilson and Mitchell in 2026 pay while retaining the option to negotiate after the season.

Minnesota is paying for an MVP-level two-way forward who shapes both its offense and defense. Her WNBA contract establishes her place here; Unrivaled or endorsement income is a separate category.

The tie shows why “highest paid” needs a definition. Current salary, total contract value, annual average and worldwide earnings can produce different answers.

4. Ezi Magbegor — $1.25 million

Magbegor is the highest-paid WNBA player who is not in the three-way supermaximum tie. Her $1.25 million Seattle salary puts her $150,000 behind the leaders and $50,000 above the next group.

The Australian center’s position is notable because large salary lists often lean toward ball-dominant perimeter scorers. Seattle is paying for rim protection, mobility and frontcourt scarcity as well as points.

At 17.86% of the $7 million team cap, Magbegor’s deal sits above the $1.19 million regular maximum tier but below the 20% supermaximum.

5. Kahleah Copper, Marina Mabrey and Alyssa Thomas — $1.2 million

Three players share fifth place at $1.2 million:

• Kahleah Copper, Phoenix Mercury: an explosive two-way wing and proven Finals performer.
• Marina Mabrey, Toronto Tempo: a high-volume guard whose scoring and playmaking anchor an expansion roster.
• Alyssa Thomas, Phoenix Mercury: an all-around forward who creates offense, rebounds and defends multiple positions.

Phoenix carries two of these contracts, committing $2.4 million—or 34.3% of its cap—to Copper and Thomas. That concentration makes low-cost depth and rookie-scale production especially important.

The $1.2 million figure is only $10,000 above the large regular-maximum group. It is a real salary difference, but not evidence that these three are meaningfully more accomplished than every player immediately below them.

8. Fourteen players tied at $1.19 million

The regular maximum produces the largest tie in the ranking. All 14 players below earn $1.19 million, so each is correctly ranked T-8:

• Shakira Austin, Mystics: a mobile center and defensive building block in Washington.
• Bridget Carleton, Fire: a versatile wing on Portland’s expansion roster.
• Allisha Gray, Dream: a two-way guard with scoring, shooting and perimeter-defense value.
• Brittney Griner, Sun: an interior scorer and rim protector now playing in Connecticut.
• Sabrina Ionescu, Liberty: a lead guard and high-volume three-point threat.
• Jonquel Jones, Liberty: a former MVP whose size and shooting stretch opposing frontcourts.
• Kayla McBride, Lynx: an experienced movement shooter central to Minnesota’s spacing.
• Arike Ogunbowale, Wings: a high-usage creator and late-clock scorer in Dallas.
• Alanna Smith, Wings: a switchable frontcourt defender with floor-spacing ability.
• Breanna Stewart, Liberty: a multiple-time MVP and one of the league’s most complete forwards.
• Brittney Sykes, Tempo: a defensive guard and transition threat with Toronto.
• Courtney Williams, Lynx: a midrange creator and playmaker in Minnesota’s backcourt.
• Gabby Williams, Valkyries: a versatile defender and connector for Golden State.
• Jackie Young, Aces: a championship guard who scores efficiently and defends across the perimeter.

New York has three players in this tier—Ionescu, Jones and Stewart—for a combined $3.57 million, or 51% of the team cap. Minnesota has Collier at $1.4 million plus McBride and Courtney Williams at $1.19 million each, a combined $3.78 million.

Those totals explain why the new $7 million cap, although vastly larger than the 2025 limit, still forces choices. A team with three maximum-level veterans must fill most of the remaining roster with roughly half its cap.

Why WNBA salaries jumped in 2026

The WNBA and WNBPA announced a seven-year agreement covering 2026 through 2032. Its changes were far more than a routine raise:

• The team cap rose from $1.5 million in 2025 to $7 million in 2026.
• The year-one maximum became $1.4 million.
• The projected average reached about $583,000.
• Minimum salaries became $270,000 to $300,000, based on service.
• The 2026 No. 1 draft pick was projected to earn $500,000.
• Players gained a revenue-sharing system with upside as league and team revenue grows.

The cap is nearly five times its old level. A page calling a roughly $250,000 contract the current supermax is describing the previous system, not 2026.

WNBA salary versus total earnings

League salary is only part of a star’s finances. Total income may include:

• Footwear and apparel endorsements.
• National advertising campaigns.
• League or team marketing agreements.
• Performance and playoff bonuses.
• Equity or appearance arrangements.
• Unrivaled or overseas basketball pay.
• Media, speaking and business income.

Those categories should not be quietly added to salary. Endorsement estimates are private, can cover several years and sometimes include incentives or equity with unknown eventual value.

The clean comparison is WNBA contract against WNBA contract. A total-earnings ranking needs a different method and more estimation.

Why Caitlin Clark is not the highest-paid WNBA player

Caitlin Clark may earn more off the court than any WNBA player, but she is not among the three $1.4 million salary leaders. Her league pay originated on the rookie scale rather than an unrestricted maximum contract.

The new CBA improves existing rookie deals and adds an accelerated route to maximum pay for players who win MVP or make an All-WNBA First or Second Team. That may let an elite young player reach the maximum earlier, but it does not turn endorsements into cap salary.

Both statements can therefore be true: Clark can be the league’s most commercially valuable athlete and still not receive its largest WNBA paycheck.

Average, minimum and rookie WNBA pay

The official projection puts the 2026 average at $583,000. Average does not mean most players receive exactly that amount; maximum contracts pull the mathematical mean above what many roster members earn.

Minimum pay ranges from $270,000 to $300,000, depending on experience. The rookie scale is more graduated too. The top 2026 pick was projected at $500,000, while later picks can land much closer to the minimum.

These are base contract structures. Bonuses can increase actual cash earned during a successful year without changing the stated salary ranking.

How the maximum salary can rise

The league projects maximum salary to grow from $1.4 million in 2026 to more than $2.4 million by 2032. That is a projection, not a guaranteed final figure, because the cap will respond to revenue.

Wilson’s deal already shows annual pay climbing within one contract. Mitchell and Collier chose one-year terms, leaving their next salaries open to negotiation. Neither approach is automatically better; it is a trade-off between security and future market upside.

Roster economics matter as well. A $1.4 million player consumes 20% of a $7 million cap. Teams still have to fund at least 12 standard roster places, developmental players and any applicable exceptions.

How WNBA pay compares with NBA money

WNBA salaries remain far below NBA salaries even after the jump. The leagues have different revenue, media-rights histories, schedules and salary systems, so a direct dollar comparison without context is incomplete.

The important development is the structure of change. WNBA players now participate through broader revenue sharing, and the league projects more than $1 billion in salaries and benefits over the agreement.

Franchise wealth and player salary are different questions. Our richest NBA owners ranking measures estimated owner net worth, while this page measures one season of player pay. The biggest NBA arenas do not automatically belong to teams paying the largest contracts either.

How we checked this ranking

We used the WNBA’s official March 2026 announcement for the cap, maximum, average and minimum. We cross-checked player contracts with current Sporting News reporting, Axios’ coverage of Mitchell’s deal and Spotrac’s 2026 salary table.

We excluded endorsement estimates and did not use 2025 supermax lists as current evidence. Wilson’s future salaries are the published structure of her contract, not money already earned.

The answer is clear: Wilson, Mitchell and Collier share the 2026 WNBA salary lead at $1.4 million. Based on contracts reported by the snapshot date, Wilson moves ahead alone in 2027 at $1.65 million. For income including endorsements, see the highest-paid female athletes. Find more dated salary research in the SportsLook earnings hub.