What is WNBA supermax?
The top WNBA salary is $1.4 million in 2026, about 20% of the $7 million team cap, under the seven-year agreement ratified in March 2026. It is projected to pass $2.4 million by 2032.
How it works
The 2026 agreement replaced a fixed cap that grew 3% a year with one tied to the business. After 2026, the cap is set at 20% of Shared Basketball Revenue, and the maximum moves with it.
For the first time, players coming off rookie-scale deals can sign maximum contracts.
The jump is the story: the 2025 supermax was $249,244. The 2026 minimum is higher than that.
The numbers
About 20% of cap
Prior agreement
Tied to revenue
An example
A star signing in 2026 can earn $1.4 million in year one. Whether later years rise faster depends on how her contract is written relative to a cap that now follows league revenue.
What it means for a player
Read whether future salaries are fixed amounts or tied to the cap. In a league whose revenue is growing, that clause can be worth more than the first-year number.
Sources
- ESPN: How the new WNBA CBA will impact every player’s salary
- ESPN: Long-form CBA outlines revenue share
- WNBA: Tentative CBA deal announcement
Reviewed September 26, 2026 by McKinley Malbrough III, J.D., MS-HRM, certified WNBA player agent and former certified NBA agent. Figures are refreshed each July. General information, not legal, tax or financial advice.