What will Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers and more WNBA stars on rookie contracts now make?
The New York Times • • sports
Key Points:
- The WNBA's new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) addresses the disparity between rising league popularity and low rookie salaries, significantly increasing pay for rookies like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and Paige Bueckers.
- The No. 1 pick in the 2026 draft will earn a base salary starting at $500,000, rising annually to $646,360 by the fourth year, a substantial increase from previous contracts where rookies earned far less.
- Salaries for 2024 and 2025 draftees are slightly reduced by 4% per year compared to the 2026 scale, but still represent a major raise from prior agreements, with Bueckers’ 2026 salary rising
