The top 5 most expensive contracts in WNBA right now: Kelsey Mitchell, Jackie Young, and more

In an era where women’s sports are finally receiving the prime-time spotlight they deserve, the WNBA is witnessing a financial revolution. For years, the league’s salary cap was a modest ceiling, but 2025 was a significantly heavier bag. With soaring TV ratings and sold-out arenas, the league’s top stars are now commanding Supermax deals that reflect their elite status. While these figures may not yet rival the NBA’s hundred-million-dollar contracts, they represent a hard-fought victory for the athletes who have turned the WNBA into a global powerhouse.

Here are the top five most expensive active contracts in the WNBA as of the 2025–2026 season:

5. Kahleah Copper (Phoenix Mercury)

Copper was traded from Sky to Mercury back in 2024 under a two-year extension contract worth $490,118. She earned a base salary of $248,134 in 2025 and enters 2026 as a UFA. The 2021 Finals MVP is known for her explosive drives and relentless defense, and her contract reflected her status as a premium two-way wing.

4. Jewell Loyd (Las Vegas Aces)

Jewell Loyd was traded to the Las Vegas Aces in the early 2025 season in a blockbuster three-team deal. The jersey changes yet Loyd remained one of the most lethal scorers in the game. She signed a two-year extension with Storm in 2023 worth $491,016 with a guaranteed base salary of $249,032 in 2025. She enters the 2026 season as an unrestricted agent with an expected big cap hit.

3. Arike Ogunbowale (Dallas Wings)

Tied with Loyd, Ogunbowale is the undisputed queen of the clutch shot in Dallas. Her three-year supermax extension worth $725k was a solid and loud affirmation of her skills and talent from the Wings' front office. As one of the league's most prolific scorers, she earned $249,032 in 2025 and goes as a free agent in the new season. Her resume is expected to draw out a significant rise in salary cap in 2026.

2. Kelsey Mitchell (Indiana Fever)

Mitchell signed a one-year deal with the Fever in 2025 worth $249,244. This deal made her the highest-paid WNBA player in the league, and Mitchell justified every cent of it. After Caitlin Clark got sidelined due to an injury, Kelsey took it upon her veteran shoulders to guide this team of young blood. Her veteran presence was valued as much as her sharpshooting. Though currently a free agent, Mitchell will be expecting a bigger contract before the beginning of the new season.

1. Jackie Young (Las Vegas Aces)

Jackie Young was the first player in WNBA history to cross the $250,000 annual threshold. Her two-year extension with the Aces, initially signed in 2022 and then extended again in May 2024, set the new record for average annual value (AAV). As a "silent assassin" who provides elite shooting and defense for the reigning dynasty, Young’s $504,900 total contract value is currently the benchmark that every player agent is using in the 2026 CBA standoff.

Also read: Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union's combined net worth: Total earnings, investments, and more




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