New WNBA CBA Positions Paige Bueckers For Max Salary By 2028

The new CBA raises salaries across the entire league. Younger players who impact the league at an elite level now face a shorter path to the top of the pay scale — and nobody in Dallas should be paying closer attention than Paige Bueckers.

Dallas selected Bueckers first overall in the 2025 draft. The Wings guard put up 19.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 5.4 assists as a rookie, took home All-WNBA Second Team and Rookie of the Year. That All-WNBA nod already makes her max-eligible as early as 2028 — her fourth year.

The new mechanism is called EPIC — Exceptional Performance on Initial Contract. Players on rookie deals can renegotiate their fourth year and sign a three-year extension. Make All-WNBA First or Second Team, and you’re eligible for the max. Win MVP and the supermax opens up. In the WNBA, the Core designation works like an NFL franchise tag — teams use it to keep players from hitting the open market. Signing the EPIC extension takes that option off the table for teams.

Paige Bueckers Joins Aliyah Boston, Caitlin Clark as Eligible

Bueckers isn’t the only star positioned to benefit. Aliyah Boston averaged 15.0 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists last season, earned All-WNBA Second Team honors, and made the All-Defensive Second Team. Indiana drafted her first overall in 2023, so 2026 is her fourth year. Under the old CBA, that wasn’t possible until a player’s rookie deal ran its course.

Caitlin Clark is also in line. In 2024, Clark averaged 19.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 8.4 assists and landed All-WNBA First Team honors. Her 2025 season was cut short — she appeared in just 13 games. She earned $78,066 in 2024. The number going to $530,000 tells you everything about how much has changed. Her All-WNBA resume already qualifies her for the max in 2027 — projected at $1.3 million. Hit the supermax threshold, and 2028 pays $1.7 million, the first year of her extension.

Veterans qualify on a resume alone. A’ja Wilson finished 2025 with her fourth MVP award, her third Defensive Player of the Year, and her fifth All-WNBA First Team selection. She also took home her second Finals MVP. Las Vegas is set to give her this deal as soon as possible.

What the New Scale Looks Like

Thirty-eight players on existing rookie deals are getting raises. Every one of those deals gets bumped up. Minimum salaries in 2026 run $270,000 to $300,000, depending on years of service. The floor last year was $66,079.

The team salary cap went from $1.5 million last year to $7.0 million. The average salary around the league is projected at $583,000 this season. The No. 1 overall pick is projected at $500,000 going forward. Bueckers got there first. Whoever comes next walks in at that number.

As more players reach supermax eligibility, building around them gets harder. Roster construction across the league will depend on smart drafting and selective use of free agency to fill out supporting casts.