With the deal, A’ja Wilson has set a new precedent in the WNBA. Stephen R. Sylvanie / Imagn Images
April 15, 2026Updated 4:35 pm EDT
A’ja Wilson was already the most decorated player in WNBA history. Now, the league’s first four-time MVP is also the highest paid.
Wilson signed a three-year deal with Las Vegas on Wednesday that is the richest contract in WNBA history, starting at $1.4 million in 2026 and potentially reaching more than $4.7 million with maximum raises, a team source told The Athletic. This comes after she made $200,000 in the 2025 season.
Wilson is not the only player to sign a supermax contract for the 2026 season, as Kelsey Mitchell is also making $1.4 million in Indiana, but Wilson is the only supermax player to sign a multi-year deal. If the salary cap increases by the maximum allowed amount in the collective bargaining agreement in 2027 and 2028, the total value of Wilson’s contract could exceed $4.7 million. Even with five percent raises, Wilson is still guaranteed more than $4.4 million over three years, besting the previous highest contract in WNBA history, which belonged to Ezi Magbegor ($3.75 million) for a few days.
Wilson was eligible to ink a four-year deal with Las Vegas, but the three-year term aligns her with teammates Chelsea Gray and Jewell Loyd, both of whom are also locked in through 2028 with the Aces.
Wilson’s return to Las Vegas was a foregone conclusion from the moment the new CBA was agreed upon, and the superstar confirmed her intention to stay with the only WNBA team she has ever played for on April 3 while at USA Basketball’s training camp. The only lingering question was how much Wilson would make during her next contract.
Several players took team-friendly discounts in free agency to help front offices build out complete rosters, including fellow Aces Jackie Young, Gray and Loyd, all of whom were eligible for the supermax. Young signed a regular max contract of $1.19 million, Gray signed a three-year deal starting at $1 million in 2026 and Loyd — who made the supermax under the previous CBA each of the last four seasons — is on a three-year deal that will pay her $800,000 in 2026. Their collective sacrifices allowed the Aces to carve out the largest possible sum for their reigning MVP, finals MVP and co-defensive player of the year.
Las Vegas has won three of the last four titles and now returns 90 percent of the scoring from its 2025 roster with the re-signings of the core four, Kierstan Bell, NaLyssa Smith and Dana Evans.
Apr 15, 2026
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