
New WNBA CBA Pushes Rookie Pay Higher, Elevating Clark, Bueckers and Reese
A new WNBA collective bargaining agreement raises rookie salaries across the board, with the No. 1 pick in 2026 set to earn a $500,000 base this season and escalating each year (to $520k, $572k, and $646,360 by the final year). The 2025 draftees’ scale is reduced by 4% for 2026, meaning stars like Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers will see substantial increases under the new framework and could reach max or supermax levels as the league’s business grows.













