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How much does a WNBA rookie make in 2026?

By McKinley Malbrough III, J.D., MS-HRM · Certified WNBA player agent

Published September 26, 2026. Last updated September 26, 2026.

What does each pick earn?

The new collective bargaining agreement replaced the old tiers with a salary for each of the top eight picks, then a floor for the rest of the first round, per Sportico, which reviewed the scale.

• No. 1: $500,000 in year one, rising to $572,000 in year three, with a fourth-year option at $646,360. The 2026 No. 1 pick was Azzi Fudd, selected by the Dallas Wings.
• No. 2: $466,913 in year one, per Front Office Sports.
• Rest of the first round: no less than $289,133.
• Second and third rounds: the league minimum, $270,000.

For scale: the 2025 No. 1 pick earned $78,831 as a rookie. The 2026 No. 1 pick earns more than six times that, and about double what the best-paid veterans earned a year ago.

How long is a WNBA rookie contract?

Three years with a team option for a fourth, the same shape as before. What changed is protection. Lottery picks, the first six selections, now have their first-year salary fully protected, per ESPN's reporting on the agreement. Before 2026, a young player's salary could not be protected until the team exercised her fourth-year option. Other picks have added protection opportunities, and a first-round pick's contract becomes secure once she makes the final roster.

What is the EPIC provision?

EPIC stands for Exceptional Performance on Initial Contract. A player on a rookie deal who earns All-WNBA First or Second Team can move to a maximum-level salary in her fourth year, and a rookie-scale player who wins MVP can reach the supermax, per CBS Sports and ESPN. She can also renegotiate that fourth year and add a three-year extension. Under the old agreement, a star on a rookie deal waited out the full term at rookie pay.

What happened to players already on rookie deals?

Existing rookie-scale contracts were adjusted up to the new scale, reduced by 4% for each year since signing, per ESPN. A 2024 No. 1 pick entering her third season, for example, moved to roughly $530,000.

How does it compare with playing overseas?

For most of the league's history, a rookie outside the top picks could earn more in a single overseas season than in the WNBA. A $270,000 floor narrows that gap. Many players will still weigh an offseason abroad, and the terms of that deal, including when the player must report back to the WNBA, now matter more. Here is what to read in an overseas contract.

The draft-night checklist

Know the salary for the slot, whether the first year is protected, and what it takes to make the final roster. Know the EPIC thresholds, because an All-WNBA season in year two or three changes the fourth year. And compare the pay with the veteran minimums and the max to see how fast the second contract can grow under a revenue-linked cap.