The $1 Million Question: WNBA Salaries, The $1.5M Cap, And The Massive CBA Proposal That Could Change Everything

The financial landscape of the WNBA is at a critical inflection point, with player salaries and the league's overall compensation structure dominating headlines as of December 2025. While the league continues to experience unprecedented growth in popularity and viewership, the conversation around how much WNBA players actually make remains one of the most heated debates in professional sports. The latest figures for the 2025 season reveal a rigid salary structure governed by a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) that is simultaneously setting new records and facing intense scrutiny over its long-term viability.

The current reality for the 2025 season is defined by a hard team salary cap of just over $1.5 million, with even the league's absolute top stars earning a base salary that often falls below the $250,000 mark. However, a groundbreaking new CBA proposal is on the table, promising to fundamentally overhaul the system, potentially pushing the maximum player salary past the $1 million threshold for the first time, a change that would redefine the financial future for players like Jackie Young, Jewell Loyd, and the next generation of WNBA talent.

The Current State of WNBA Player Compensation (2025)

The WNBA operates under a strict set of financial rules outlined in the 2020 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), which runs through the 2027 season. These rules dictate the maximum a player can earn, the minimum salary, and the total amount a franchise can spend on its roster, known as the salary cap. The figures for the 2025 season reflect the incremental increases negotiated in the current agreement.

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2025 WNBA Salary Cap and Contract Tiers

The league’s financial structure is built on a hard cap, meaning teams cannot exceed the limit under any circumstances. This forces franchises to make difficult roster decisions, often leading to talented players being cut due to financial constraints.

• 2025 Team Salary Cap: The total amount a WNBA team can spend on its roster for the 2025 season is set at $1,507,100, a figure that increases by approximately 3% annually.
• 2025 Average Salary: The average salary for a WNBA player in the 2025 season is calculated to be around $102,249.
• 2025 Maximum (Supermax) Salary: The highest base salary a veteran player can earn, known as the supermax contract, is capped at $249,244 for the 2025 season.
• 2025 Minimum Salary: For players with three or more years of service, the minimum salary is set at $66,079.

It is crucial to understand that the base salary is only one part of a player's total annual earnings, or "cash compensation." Additional income can come from performance bonuses, league and team marketing agreements, and other benefits, but the base salary remains the core component of WNBA salaries.

The Top Earners: Highest Paid WNBA Players and Their Contracts

Despite the relatively low salary cap compared to other major sports leagues, the WNBA’s top players still command the highest possible figures under the current CBA. These players are the faces of the league and typically sign "supermax" extensions with their original teams or max-level contracts in free agency.

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The WNBA's Top 10 Highest-Paid Players (Base Salary)

The top tier of earners for the 2024 and 2025 seasons are a mix of established veterans and younger stars who have recently signed lucrative extensions. While base salaries are tightly capped, the ability to secure a multi-year deal at the max level is what separates the elite from the rest of the league.

Note: Base salaries for top players tend to cluster around the maximum contract value, with slight variations based on the year the contract was signed and specific contract terms. Jackie Young's total contract value makes her the highest-paid player in terms of average annual value.

The Future of WNBA Salaries: A $1 Million Max Contract?

The most significant development impacting WNBA salaries is the ongoing negotiation for a new Collective Bargaining Agreement. The league's current CBA, signed in 2020, was a massive step forward, but the WNBA's exploding popularity—driven by new stars, increased media rights, and record attendance—has prompted a push for a new deal that more accurately reflects the league's value.

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The Groundbreaking CBA Proposal

Recent reports indicate that the WNBA has presented a new CBA proposal to the Women's National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) that, if ratified, would represent a seismic shift in player compensation.

• $1.1 Million Maximum Salary: The proposed deal would raise the maximum base salary for the league's top players to over $1.1 million, a more than four-fold increase from the current $249,244 supermax.
• $460,000+ Average Salary: The new proposal projects the league average salary to soar to more than $460,000 in the first year of the new agreement.
• Increased Salary Cap: To accommodate the higher individual salaries, the team salary cap would also see a dramatic increase, potentially rising to around $5.5 million.

This proposal is directly tied to a new revenue-sharing model. Currently, WNBA players receive approximately 20% of the league's revenue. The new agreement is expected to significantly increase the players' share of the league's growing revenue, a move that would finally bring WNBA salaries closer to parity with the league's commercial success.

Addressing the Off-Season Earnings Gap

The low WNBA base salaries have historically forced many players, including superstars like Breanna Stewart, to play overseas during the off-season to supplement their income, often earning more abroad than they do in the WNBA. This practice, known as "prioritization," has led to player fatigue and injuries. The new CBA proposal seeks to address this issue by making WNBA salaries competitive enough to remove the financial necessity of playing year-round.

By offering a $1 million-plus maximum contract, the WNBA is making a clear statement: the league wants its biggest stars to prioritize the WNBA season. This shift in financial structure is not just about higher pay; it’s about professionalizing the league's calendar and ensuring the best talent is available and rested for the WNBA season.

Topical Authority Entities and LSI Keywords

To fully understand the WNBA salary debate, one must consider the key entities and factors that influence player compensation:

• WNBA CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement): The foundational document governing all financial and working conditions for WNBA players until 2027.
• Hard Salary Cap: The strict, non-negotiable limit on team payroll, which is a major point of contention for roster construction.
• Supermax Contracts: The highest tier of contract reserved for the most accomplished players, currently capped at $249,244.
• Revenue Sharing: The percentage of league revenue allocated to player salaries, which is the core subject of the new CBA negotiations.
• Player Compensation: The total earnings of a player, including base salary, bonuses, and marketing money.
• Prioritization: The controversial rule that requires players to be present for the entire WNBA season, which has been linked to the push for higher base salaries to discourage playing overseas.
• Key Players: Names like A'ja Wilson, Sabrina Ionescu, Kelsey Plum, and Caitlin Clark (upcoming) are central to the league's marketability and future contract values.

The WNBA's financial future hinges on the successful ratification of the proposed CBA. If the maximum base salary truly breaks the $1 million mark, it will not only be a historic moment for women's professional sports but also a powerful sign that the league is ready to fully capitalize on its surging popularity, ensuring that the stars who drive its success are compensated accordingly.