Breanna Stewart Explains 3-Year Max Contract Structure and Salary Cap Approach

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Breanna Stewart Explains 3-Year Max Contract Structure and Salary Cap Approach

Originally posted on TheSheGotGame | By Joy Bassy | Last updated Apr 18, 2026 2:36 PM ET

Breanna Stewart had already cemented her loyalty to the New York Liberty for the next three years, and she recently educated fans about the nature of her three-year contract, along with the associated salary cap.

Stewart officially signed her new contract with the Liberty worth $1.19 million and revealed the rest of her contract’s key details in the April 15 episode of her podcast Game Recognize Game while talking to co-host Myles Turner.

She revealed, “It’s a three-year standard max contract, which is like 17% of the cap, and that will fluctuate as the cap fluctuates. But I think the biggest thing is, for us, we needed to make sure that we’re able to really keep all the best players on the team. That’s why you’ll see a few of us probably in the millions, and then everybody else trying to get as much as they can while also having a great team.”

Breanna Stewart says on her podcast that her contract is a 3-year standard max contract, where she'll be getting 17% of the cap each year.

She emphasizes the importance to her, and her teammates, of "get[ting] as much as they can while also having a great team," and that this… https://t.co/JUMTVGVmPY
— Alexa Philippou (@alexaphilippou) April 17, 2026

Stewart chose to take a standard max contract instead of a supermax deal worth $1.4 million to help the team with other signings.

The new change comes into effect after the latest CBA, which Stewart herself helped orchestrate in favour of the players as the WNBPA’s vice president. The salary cap has now been increased from $1.5 million to $7 million under the new agreement.

While the Liberty will now look to start the hunt for their second WNBA championship, rest assured, Stewart is not the only core player to have renewed.

Which Players Alongside Stewart Renewed with the Liberty?

All the cornerstone members of Liberty’s first championship had long decided to stay in New York, including Sabrina Ionescu and Jonquel Jones.

Ionescu followed Stewart as another player signing with a max deal of $1.19 million, although she too had the option to go for a supermax contract. Meanwhile, Jones has signed a three-year deal for an undisclosed amount.

Thanks to these pay cuts, the ‘Big 3’ of Stewart, Ionescu, and Jones might very well be turning into four with the addition of three-time All-Star forward Satou Sabally, who agreed to a multiyear contract to join the Liberty in free agency.

ESPN’s Alexa Philippou reported on April 16 that Sabally has signed a two-year contract with the Liberty, where she will earn $815,000 in the upcoming season and $855,750 in 2027. The deal is fully guaranteed.

With the Liberty looking more dangerous than ever, do you think they will be able to dethrone A’ja Wilson and the Las Vegas Aces as the next big dynasty in the WNBA?

This article first appeared on TheSheGotGame and was syndicated with permission.

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