A’ja Wilson signed a three-year deal with the Las Vegas Aces on Wednesday, a contract that starts at $1.4 million in 2026 and could climb past $4.7 million with maximum raises. The agreement makes Wilson the highest paid player in WNBA history.
Wilson, the league’s first four-time MVP, made $200,000 in the 2025 season. She was eligible to sign a four-year deal, but chose a shorter commitment after confirming on April 3 at USA Basketball’s training camp that she intended to stay with the only WNBA team she has ever played for.
The deal lands in a market that is already pushing salaries upward. Kelsey Mitchell is also set to make $1.4 million in Indiana in 2026, while Chelsea Gray signed a three-year deal starting at $1 million and Jewell Loyd agreed to a three-year contract that will pay her $800,000 in 2026. Wilson’s contract is still the one that sets the pace.
Las Vegas has won three of the last four titles, and the Aces return 90 percent of the scoring from their 2025 roster. Their re-signings of Jackie Young, Gray and Loyd helped create the room for Wilson’s new deal, which the article says is the richest in WNBA history. The previous high belonged to Ezi Magbegor at $3.75 million for only a few days.
For Las Vegas, the math is simple: Wilson stays, the core stays, and the team that has been the league’s standard keeps its centerpiece in place. The larger question now is whether this contract becomes the new ceiling for the rest of the WNBA or just the number that forces everyone else to catch up. See also: Aja Wilson Contract: Aces Star Signs Largest WNBA Deal To Date.
