The remarkable salary increases of the WNBA’s biggest stars have been laid bare after weeks of tense discussions with the league finally resulted in a new Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Caitlin Clark has been the face of the league since being drafted No 1 overall by the Indiana Fever in 2024, but her rookie contract paid her a paltry amount in comparison to her worth to the league.
Incredibly, Clark was earning just $85,000 a year for her first two seasons in the WNBA, gathering the majority of her wealth from sponsorship deals and other endeavors away from the basketball court.
All that is changing now, with base salaries skyrocketing not just for the current crop of WNBA stars, but also every new player joining the league – with the 2026 Draft happening in New York later this month.
Clark will earn a new salary of $528k in 2026, a remarkable 521% pay increase from her 2025 wage – all thanks to an ‘EPIC’ new clause, both in name and nature.
Caitlin Clark is being paid 521% more in 2026 than in 2025, in the wake of the new CBA
Clark has become the face of the WNBA in the two years since she was drafted at No 1 overall
The ‘exceptional performance on initial contract’ clause allows Clark to max out her possibilities on her four-year rookie deal, which still has two years to run before she can demand a much higher base salary from the Fever – or elsewhere.
The same clause also means that Clark is likely to only have one more season on her rookie deal, before she unlocks a lucrative extension.
Eligible players are those who win MVP or make the All-WNBA Team in their first three seasons, a category which Clark is set to fall into.
It’s fair to say Clark may not have too many concerns about her bank balance, though, with Nike currently paying her $28 million over an eight-year deal.
Clark’s new salary of $528k still pales in comparison to her worth to the WNBA, many believe
In March, Clark was also the face of Team USA in a series of World Cup qualifying games
Many believe that to have been a steal for the sportswear giants, tying down one of the world’s top athletes for a relatively small fee in comparison to others.
Michael Jordan, for example, is said to still earn $60m annually from Nike, despite retiring from the NBA in 2003.
Meanwhile, some other big salary increases in the WNBA include Aliyah Boston, jumping from $94k to $574k, Paige Bueckers – from $80k to $500k – and Angel Reese – from $75k to $350k.
Clark’s Indiana Fever teammate Boston, in fact, is set to be the WNBA’s highest-paid player in 2026, with Dallas’ Diamond Miller ($536,588) in second. Clark is third.
