Caitlin Clark's Projected Salary Revealed After WNBA Avoids Lockout

While it was nice to see Clark thriving on the court again after an eight-month hiatus, there were questions about whether the WNBA would have a season in 2026. The league and the players union were stuck in a stalemate up until this past Wednesday, when Front Office Sports reported that they had agreed to terms.

While not all details of the CBA are public at this time, we do know that players are lined up for massive raises when they sign their next contracts. However, there were questions about players like Clark, who are still on rookie deals or otherwise under contract, and how this would affect them.

Something we got clarity about on Friday, as ESPN's Alex Philippou revealed, there is a "provision" in the CBA that will allow younger players with the right accolades to earn more money quicker.

"For example, Caitlin Clark -- who made $78,066 in 2025 -- is poised to see her salary jump to $530,000 in 2026, a source said," wrote Philippou. "She could earn the projected max of $1.3 million in 2027 as a previous All-WNBA player. She could then sign for a $1.7 million supermax in 2028."

This would be an increase of over $450,000 in pay for Clark, who is easily the biggest name in the league and has played a huge role in the WNBA's surge in popularity.

While her value is likely far more than her paycheck, it is certainly a great sign for the WNBA that they can pay competitive rates, as other leagues like Unrivaled and Project B were starting to circle like sharks.