A $500,000 payday awaits the No. 1 WNBA pick as the Dallas Wings go on the clock again

TL;DR

The Dallas Wings are set to select the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft, with a salary of $500,000 under the new collective bargaining agreement. This amount is nearly seven times what last year's top pick earned, with the second and third picks also seeing significant salary increases.

NEW YORK (AP) — A $500,000 payday awaits the No. 1 WNBA pick as the Dallas Wings go on the clock again. Whoever Dallas chooses at No. 1 will see a huge salary bump her first year thanks to the new collective bargaining agreement that was ratified last month. That's nearly seven-times what last season's No. 1 pick Paige Bueckers made. The No. 2 and No. 3 picks will get $466,913 and $436,016, respectively. Second- and third-round picks will make $270,000 — which is more than the previous maximum salary in the old CBA. The Wings could take guard Azzi Fudd from UConn, Spanish forward Awa Fam Thiam or UCLA center Lauren Betts on Monday night to complement a talented roster led by Bueckers. Bueckers and Fudd were teammates at UConn and helped the Huskies win the national championship in 2025. Fam Thiem, who is 19, is a talented Spanish player currently playing in her country's domestic league. Betts is one of six UCLA players in the draft. The 6-foot-7 center helped the Bruins win their first national championship eight days ago. UCLA has a chance to break UConn's record of having four players drafted in the first round, a mark the Huskies set in 2002. They also could top Tennessee (2008), Notre Dame (2019) and South Carolina (2023), which all had five players drafted in total. Minnesota picks second with Seattle, Washington and Chicago rounding out the top five. Expansion teams Toronto and Portland pick next. The Tempo chose to have the higher pick in the college draft after winning a coin toss, giving the Fire the top choice in the expansion draft earlier this month. Golden State is next with Washington owning the ninth and 11th picks. Indiana chooses between them. Connecticut, Atlanta, Seattle and the Sun close out the first round. \\\_ AP WNBA:

Q&A

What is the salary for the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft?

The No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft will earn a salary of $500,000 under the new collective bargaining agreement.

Who are the top prospects for the Dallas Wings in the WNBA draft?

The top prospects for the Dallas Wings include guard Azzi Fudd from UConn, Spanish forward Awa Fam Thiam, and UCLA center Lauren Betts.

How does the new collective bargaining agreement affect WNBA player salaries?

The new collective bargaining agreement significantly increases player salaries, with the No. 1 pick earning nearly seven times more than last season's top pick, and all first-round picks receiving substantial salary bumps.