31 WNBA players now make $1 million or more, including an ISU alumna

Her 2025 salary was $125,000, according to Spotrac.

Bridget Carleton is among the highest-paid WNBA players

A'ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces is guarded by Napheesa Collier of the Minnesota Lynx.

These are the highest-paid players in the WNBA, according to salary data pulled from Spotrac and Her Hoop Stats.

• A'ja Wilson: $1,400,000 (Las Vegas Aces)
• Napheesa Collier: $1,400,000 (Minnesota Lynx)
• Kelsey Mitchell: $1,400,000 (Indiana Fever)
• Ezi Magbegor: $1,250,000 (Seattle Storm)
• Kahleah Copper: $1,200,000 (Phoenix Mercury)
• Alyssa Thomas: $1,200,000 (Phoenix Mercury)
• Marina Mabrey: $1,200,000 (Toronto Tempo)
• Allisha Gray: $1,190,000 (Atlanta Dream)
• Brittney Griner: $1,190,000 (Connecticut Sun)
• Jonquel Jones: $1,190,000 (New York Liberty)
• Kayla McBride: $1,190,000 (Minnesota Lynx)
• Alanna Smith: $1,190,000 (Dallas Wings)
• Breanna Stewart: $1,190,000 (New York Liberty)
• Brittney Sykes: $1,190,000 (Toronto Tempo)
• Courtney Williams: $1,190,000 (Minnesota Lynx)
• Gabby Williams: $1,190,000 (Golden State Valkyries)
• Jackie Young: $1,190,000 (Las Vegas Aces)
• Shakira Austin: $1,190,000 (Washington Mystics)
• Bridget Carleton: $1,190,000 (Portland Fire)
• Sabrina Ionescu: $1,190,000 (New York Liberty)
• Arike Ogunbowale: $1,190,000 (Dallas Wings)
• Dearica Hamby: $1,100,000 (Los Angeles Sparks)
• Rhyne Howard: $1,100,000 (Atlanta Dream)
• Ariel Atkins: $1,085,000 (Los Angeles Sparks)
• Kennedy Burke: $1,000,000 (Connecticut Sun)
• Temi Fágbénlé: $1,000,000 (Toronto Tempo)
• Chelsea Gray: $1,000,000 (Las Vegas Aces)
• Brionna Jones: $1,000,000 (Atlanta Dream)
• Jessica Shepard: $1,000,000 (Dallas Wings)
• Azurá Stevens: $1,000,000 (Chicago Sky)
• Aliyah Boston: $1,000,000 (Indiana Fever)

Carleton will make the same as former WNBA MVPs, Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones, in 2026. Carleton is one of five players on the million‑dollar list **—**Kennedy Burke, Jessica Shepard, Temi Fágbénlé and Marina Mabrey **—**who haven't received All-WNBA or All-Star honors in their careers prior to the 2026 season.

What is Caitlin Clark's WNBA salary?

• 2025 salary: $78,066
• 2026 projected salary: $530,000

The new WNBA CBA also revamps the rookie contract scale, significantly boosting pay for top draft picks and raising existing rookie contracts league-wide. This gives Clark, the 2024 No. 1 pick, a roughly $530,000 salary in 2026, according to ESPN.

The new CBA also creates a pathway for rookies to reach max contracts if they earn MVP or All-WNBA honors. Because Clark was named First‑Team All‑WNBA as a rookie, she can become eligible for a maximum contract in the fourth year of her rookie deal in 2027.

Bridget Carleton WNBA stats

Carleton has played seven seasons in the WNBA, almost all of that time with Minnesota. Iowa State women's basketball's No. 4 all-time scorer averaged 6.5 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 0.8 steals for the Lynx in 2025 and started nearly all games for the franchise over the past two seasons.

Though she was seen as mostly a role player alongside All-Stars in Napheesa Collier, Courtney Williams and Kayla McBride in Minnesota, Carleton is expected to take on a much bigger role given that Portland took her first in the expansion draft and rewarded her with the max deal.

She had 13 points, four assists, one rebound and one steal across 30 minutes in Portland's 98–83 loss to the Chicago Sky on May 9. The Fire face the New York Liberty on Tuesday, May 12, at 9 p.m., and fans can stream the game with a WNBA League Pass subscription.

USA TODAY women's sports reporter Mitchell Northam contributed to this report.

Cooper Worth is a service/trending reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at cworth@gannett.com or follow him on X @CooperAWorth

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Former Iowa State star Bridget Carleton joins WNBA’s $1 million club