After weeks of intense negotiations, the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) reached a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA), marking a major turning point for player earnings. Top stars, especially Caitlin Clark, are seeing substantial salary increases.

Caitlin Clark forms a heart gesture after the NCAA college basketball game between Iowa and Michigan in Iowa City, Iowa on 15/2/2024. Photo: AP

Clark, selected by the Indiana Fever as the number one pick in the 2024 draft, quickly became the face of the league. However, during her first two seasons, the American athlete earned only around 85,000 USD annually – a figure considered low compared to her commercial value and drawing power.

Most of Clark's income comes from off-court endorsement deals. Notably, she signed an 8-year, 28 million USD contract with Nike.

Under the new agreement, Clark's base salary will increase to 528,000 USD by 2026, a 521% rise compared to 2025. This change stems from a special provision called "exceptional performance on initial contract".

This provision allows players to maximize their earnings during their initial four-year contracts. It also means Clark could play just one more season under her rookie contract before becoming eligible to sign an extension for a higher salary.

Players eligible for this provision are those who win the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award or are selected to the All-WNBA team in their first three career seasons – criteria Clark is projected to meet.

Beyond Clark, many other WNBA players will also benefit from the new agreement. Aliyah Boston's salary will increase from 94,000 USD to 574,000 USD, Paige Bueckers' from 80,000 USD to 500,000 USD, and Angel Reese's from 75,000 USD to 350,000 USD.

Among these players, Boston – Clark's teammate at the Indiana Fever – is expected to become the highest-paid WNBA player in 2026. Diamond Miller of Dallas ranks second, while Clark stands third.

Stephen Curry is currently the highest-paid NBA star. Photo: Reuters

Despite significant progress, WNBA stars' earnings remain far below their male counterparts in the NBA. For the 2025-2026 season, the NBA's salary cap will reach 154,6 million USD per team, with an average player salary of about 10,5 million USD and a rookie minimum salary already at 1,27 million USD.

The league's highest-paid star is Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors, earning approximately 59,6 million USD annually. Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic follow, both receiving around 55,2 million USD per season. Other notable names like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jimmy Butler, Anthony Davis, and Jayson Tatum also earn over 54 million USD each year.

This disparity highlights that despite the WNBA's strong transformation, the income gap between the world's two premier basketball leagues remains substantial.

By Hong Duy (via Daily Mail)