Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson. Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Aces' A'ja Wilson makes WNBA history with contract extension

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Apr 15, 2026 5:03 PM ET

Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson is getting a significant raise. It's about time.

On Wednesday, ESPN's Shams Charania and Andraya Carter reported Wilson, the WNBA's only four-time MVP, is signing a three-year, $5M supermax contract to return to the Aces next season. The fully guaranteed deal is the largest in league history.

After signing the deal, Wilson is set to make $1.4M this upcoming season. That's more than she earned during the first eight seasons of her career ($1,031,642M, per Spotrac).

What was A'ja Wilson's biggest contract before record-breaking extension?

After leading the Aces to their second of three titles in 2023, Wilson signed a two-year, $400K extension with the team. That salary is small potatoes compared to other top athletes'.

A'ja Wilson, the WNBA's first ever four-time MVP, is signing a three-year, $5 million supermax contract to return to the Las Vegas Aces, sources tell me and @Andraya_Carter. The deal, which is the largest in WNBA history to date and fully guaranteed, was negotiated by Jade-Li… pic.twitter.com/xSJhkHOvId
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 15, 2026

How A'ja Wilson's previous salary stacked up against other athletes

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry's salary for the 2025-26 season is $62.587M. Meanwhile, Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Shohei Ohtani is in the third year of a contract that pays him $70M per year.

The pay gap between male and female athletes has long been a problem in pro sports and remains so. Even then, Wilson wasn't among the highest-paid sportswomen in the world in 2025.

Sportico didn't list Wilson among its top-15 highest-paid female athletes in 2025. American tennis star Coco Gauff ranked No. 1 ($31M). Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark was the only WNBA player on the list, coming in at No. 6, but most of her earnings came from numerous endorsement deals ($16M in endorsements, $119K in salary).

Wilson has a signature shoe with Nike, but she doesn't have nearly as many endorsement deals as Clark does. Remember, she appeared in those Capital One commercials that ran during the NCAA Tournament.

Clearly, it was well past time for Wilson to get a massive raise. A player of her caliber deserves more.

"A'ja is truly one of one, who has led the franchise to where it is today," Aces general manager and president Nikki Fargas said in a statement (h/t Carter and Charania). "Not only has she catapulted into the history books and surpassed almost every record in existence, but she does so with the utmost confidence, authenticity and grace. We look forward to continue seeing her thrive in an Aces uniform."

Wilson will continue prospering for the Aces this upcoming season. Except, this time, she'll be getting paid what she's worth.

Clark Dalton

Clark Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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