The 2026 WNBA draft class will entering the league as the highest-earning group of rookies to date.
Following a landmark collective bargaining agreement signed in March that grants players revenue sharing and higher salaries, No. 1 pick Azzi Fudd of the Dallas Wings is projected to earn $500,000, nearly six times more than last year’s top pick, NBC News reports.
“It’s an incredible time to be coming in the league, to be playing women’s basketball, to be playing women’s sports in general,” said UCLA guard Kiki Rice, drafted by the Toronto Tempo with the 6th overall pick. “I’m just so grateful.”
Fudd’s base salary is projected to rise to $572,000 in year three
of her rookie deal, with a fourth-year option reaching $646,360 under the new CBA’s rookie scale. Unlike the previous CBA, which grouped rookies into broad pay tiers, the new deal sets specific salaries for each of the top eight picks.No. 2 selection Olivia Miles, drafted by the Minnesota Lynx, will earn $466,913 in her first year, rising to $534,149 by year three.
Under the new structure, all first-round picks will make at least $289,133, while second- and third-round selections will earn the league minimum of $270,000.
“I’ve gotten to watch the last four years my teammates go through this process, and so now to be the one going through this…” Fudd said. “Excited is the word that just keeps coming (up).”
The 2026 rookie class will also see bigger bonuses under the new CBA, including $5,000 for All-Rookie team selections (up from $1,500) and $15,000 for Rookie of the Year—nearly triple last year’s payout.
“All these new perks, these benefits, (are) changes that are going to help change our lives as professional athletes,” Fudd said. “I can’t believe I just said ‘our’ as a professional athlete. I think it’s going to be incredible.”
And rookies aren’t the only ones set to benefit. The WNBA’s average salary is set to jump from $120,000 to $583,000, with a new minimum of $270,000, and top players now landing multimillion-dollar deals.
Stars like Brittney Griner have already secured seven-figure contracts, marking a shift from the past when many players, like herself, relied on higher-paying overseas leagues during the offseason. In 2022, Griner was detained in Russia for 294 days after being accused of bringing hashish oil into the country while traveling to play basketball.“This is a deal that finally positions WNBA players, professional women basketball players, positions them for success, values them in the business appropriately,” said Terri Carmichael Jackson, WMBPA executive director, who helped negotiate the deal on behalf of the players. “This is a big deal.”
Surging ratings, ticket sales, and fan interest are driving up WNBA team valuations. Expansion franchises in Cleveland and Detroit have already secured investments above their $250 million fees, alongside a third team in Philadelphia. The three new teams are set to debut in 2028, 2029, and 2030.
“I think it’s extremely empowering, inspiring,” Fudd said. “And I think there’s still more growth to go.”
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