WNBA supermax contract, explained: Salary, length, details on league's new format for highest-paid players

WNBA supermax contract, explained: Salary, length, details on league's new format for highest-paid players originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . In a matter of days, WNBA players will be seeing their bank accounts flooded with zeroes.

For decades, WNBA players were feeding off proverbial scraps, seeing their contract values artificially lowered compared to their counterparts in other sports. Armed with an impressive collection of talent -- and plenty of labor organizing -- the players secured a new collective bargaining agreement. The deal allows players to seek out just rewards for their glistening skillsets.

Suffice to say, many of the league's best players are readying for the opportunity to hit the open market and secure glitzy deals. With that, here's what you need to know about the WNBA's supermax contract, pacts that should prove all the more common in the days and weeks to come. MORE: What WNBA's new CBA means for player contracts, salary cap, start of 2026 season, more What is a WNBA supermax contract?

The WNBA's supermax refers to the maximum amount a WNBA franchise can offer a player. Supermax contracts are designed as a way to reward the league's best players for their efforts. It also incentivizes loyalty -- players with at least five years of service time on their current teams are eligible for the prize, provided they were selected to the All-WNBA's first or second teams and/or picked up an MVP or Defensive Player of the Year in the past three seasons.