WNBA Salaries 2026: Sophie Cunningham, Trinity Rodman & Top Earners

WNBA Salary Structure 2026

The WNBA's 2020 CBA brought significant salary increases. The 2026 salary cap is approximately $1.46M per team. The supermax salary is ~$252,450 for the highest-tier veterans. The rookie minimum is ~$64,154 (1st round) and the veteran minimum ~$72,141. The league minimum is $62,285. While historic highs for the WNBA, the average salary of ~$120,000 still represents a fraction of NBA pay ($10.8M average). The new 2025 media deal ($2.2B over 11 years) is expected to fuel further salary growth.

Top WNBA Earners 2026

The highest-paid WNBA players earn around the supermax of ~$252,450. A'ja Wilson (Las Vegas Aces) is the highest-profile supermax player. Breanna Stewart (New York Liberty), Jonquel Jones (New York Liberty), and Kelsey Plum are also among top earners. Caitlin Clark (Indiana Fever) earns a rookie-scale ~$76,535 in base salary but earns $20M+ through endorsements (Nike, Gatorade, State Farm).

Sophie Cunningham Salary

Sophie Cunningham (Phoenix Mercury) earns an estimated $180,000-$200,000/year as an experienced veteran. Hourly at 2,080 hours: ~$87-$96/hr. Monthly: ~$15,000-$16,667. However, the WNBA season is only ~5 months (May-September), so per-season-month: ~$36,000-$40,000. Many WNBA players supplement income by playing overseas during the off-season, earning $200K-$500K+ in European, Turkish, or Chinese leagues.

Trinity Rodman Salary

Trinity Rodman (Washington Mystics) earns approximately $200,000-$230,000/year after her extension. As one of the league's brightest young stars (daughter of Dennis Rodman), she is among the higher-paid non-supermax players. Hourly: ~$96-$111/hr. Her endorsement deals (including Nike) likely double or triple her WNBA salary. Rodman was the #1 pick in 2021 and has been an All-Star selection.

WNBA vs NBA vs Other Leagues

WNBA avg: ~$120K. NBA avg: ~$10.8M (90× more). NFL avg: ~$3.4M. MLB avg: ~$4.9M. NWSL avg: ~$56K. MLS avg: ~$571K. The WNBA supermax ($252K) is less than the NBA minimum ($1.12M for a rookie). However, WNBA salaries have grown 53% since 2020 and the new media deal should push average salaries above $200K by 2028-2030.

The Endorsement Factor

For top WNBA players, endorsements far exceed playing salary. Caitlin Clark: ~$76K salary + $20M+ endorsements. A'ja Wilson: ~$252K salary + $5M+ endorsements. Sabrina Ionescu: ~$250K + $3M+. Angel Reese: ~$73K (rookie) + $3M+ endorsements. This mirrors the 1990s NBA model where Jordan earned $33M in salary but $40M+ from Nike alone.

Key Takeaways