Caitlin Clark's Salary Reportedly Could Grow 6x in 2026, How New WNBA CBA Affects Star's Contract

The WNBA's new collective bargaining agreement could lead to massive pay increases for star players in the coming years.

Per ESPN's Alexa Philippou, the pending CBA features a provision that would expedite the process for landing max deals. The provision would allow players to renegotiate their fourth-year salary to earn the standard max for that season if they were previously named All-WNBA first team or second team, or the supermax if they previously won MVP.

That means that Caitlin Clark, the 2024 Rookie of the Year and a former All-WNBA player, could make $530,000 in 2026 after making $78,066 last year. By 2027, she could make the projected max of $1.3 million and sign for $1.7 million, a supermax deal in 2028.

Under the former CBA, players were only eligible for a supermax deal after their four-year rookie contract had expired.

While not official yet, the WNBA and WNBPA reached a verbal agreement earlier this week on a new CBA, which commissioner Cathy Engelbert confirmed.

"The progress made in these discussions marks a transformative step forward for players and the league, and it's underscoring a shared commitment to the continued growth of the game," she told reporters. "It's [been] a process, but we're very proud to be leading in women's sports, and these players are amazing, and we're going to have an amazing 30th season tipping off in May."

Under the new agreement, the league will have a salary cap starting at $7 million, up from $1.5 million, and the average revenue share will reach nearly 20 percent. Supermax contracts will start at $1.4 million, and the average salary will be around $600,000, with a minimum above $300,000.

Engelbert said over the weekend that the WNBA and WNBPA would need to reach a new CBA by Monday to avoid "disrupting" the 2026 season, which begins on May 8.

The 30th WNBA season is set to be a historic one with two new teams joining in the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo. The league has experienced exponential growth in recent years, and the new CBA means players will see the growth reflected in their salaries.