After a long back and forth with the WNBA, the players have finally agreed to a new CBA. Following almost 17 months of tussle over issues like housing and revenue sharing, the players finally got what they were looking for. Following the finalization of the deal, the revenue sharing stands at 20%.
The base salary has witnessed a jump from $1.5 million in 2025 to a whopping $7 million this year. Additionally, the supermax contract too, has been boosted significantly. Unfortunately, while the likes of Caitlin Clark will not be eligible for the supermax salary, there are some big names who will be earning the revised amount. As per the new CBA, the supermax starts from $1.4 million and might grow to over $2.4 million by 2032.
Here are the top 5 names for the supermax contract in 2026.
5. Nneka Ogwumike
Ogwumike has been in the news lately. Serving as the players’ union’s President, her zeal made sure that the players had a new CBA contract ahead of their coming season. Although she is now 36 years old, Ogwumike is still one of the most decorated athletes of the league. Picked up as the number 1 pick in 2012, the Seattle Storm star won the 2016 WNBA MVP award.
She also clinched the WNBA title in the same year with the Los Angeles Sparks. And that is not all. Joining Seattle in 2024, Ogunbowale made sure that the Storm made the playoffs on both the seasons. Last season, she had a stellar display leading her team with 18.3 points per game and 7 rebounds on an average.
4. Kelsey Plum
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Another name that cannot be ignored when it comes to deserving a supermax salary is Plum. Donning the Las Vegas Aces’ jersey, she led the team to consecutive WNBA championships in 2022 and 2023. However, looking for new challenges, Plum traded jerseys with the Sparks in 2025. Immediately, she made a big impact. She emerged as the leading scorer for the team with 19.5 points and 5.7 assists. Together with Dearica Hamby, Plum too, will be a strong contender for the supermax contract.
3. Napheesa Collier
The Minnesota Lynx has been one of the strongest teams in the WNBA. And the main reason for their recent surge has been none other than Napheesa Collier. Back when the team was spearheaded by Maya Moore, the Lynx won four titles between 2011 and 2017. However, when Moore left the game to focus on criminal justice, Minnesota desperately needed a new face.
Coming in as the number 6 overall pick in 2019, the UConn star has been dominant with her performance. Owing to her stellar showing, the Lynx finished with a 34-10 record last season. And if Collier would not have suffered an ankle injury, the season could have turned out to be way different for the Lynx. Thus, with such a strong showing, the front office might surely think about offering some lucrative contract to their star player.
2. Breanna Stewart
The New York Liberty won the 2024 WNBA title. And a lot of the credit goes to Stewart. Already a great team with Sabrina Ionescu in their ranks, the roster became a superpower when Stewart joined in 2023 leaving Seattle. Last year, Stewart displayed her strong defensive game, ranking in the list of top 10 blocks. Moreover, back in September 2021, Stewart also had her name etched in the W25. This was a list of the 25 best players of the league over a period of 25 years.
1. A’ja Wilson
Well, there cannot be a WNBA top 5 list without mentioning A’ja Wilson. Last year, she not only won the WNBA title with the Las Vegas Aces, she also became the first in history to clinch a championship, WNBA Finals MVP, WNBA MVP, and Defensive Player of the Year in the same season. This year too, the team would be looking forward to her contributions as Aces defends their title. And as an added advantage, the team might just offer a supermax contract to boost her zeal even further.