It was never really a question of if A’ja Wilson would stay in Las Vegas. The question was just how historic the number would be.
On April 15, the Las Vegas Aces made it official: Wilson signed a three-year, $5 million supermax contract — the largest deal in WNBA history. Fully guaranteed. Negotiated by agent Jade-Li English of Klutch Sports Group. And long overdue.
Let’s put that in context. Last season, the four-time MVP averaged 23.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, 2.3 blocks, and 1.6 steals per game — while leading the Aces to their third championship in four years. She became the first player in WNBA or NBA history to win the scoring title, MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, and Finals MVP all in the same season. She has been, by virtually every measure, the best player on the planet in women’s basketball. And under the old collective bargaining agreement, she was earning $250,000 a year.
That era is over.
Under the new CBA, Wilson will earn $1.4 million in the 2026 season — with her salary scaling to 20% of the team’s total cap in years two and three. As the league grows, so does her check. It’s a structure that rewards her not just for what she’s already done, but for the wave she’s still riding.
“A’ja is truly one of one,” Aces president and GM Nikki Fargas said in a statement. “Not only has she catapulted into the history books and surpassed almost every record in existence, but she does so with the utmost confidence, authenticity and grace.”
Wilson’s response was characteristically unbothered: YKWTFGO.
She wasn’t testing the market. She wasn’t playing games. At USA Basketball camp earlier this month, she told reporters exactly where her head was at: “I love Vegas. I’m not leaving Vegas. I’m looking to win another one.” With most of the championship core back — Jackie Young, Jewell Loyd, Chelsea Gray — Las Vegas heads into 2026 as the team to beat. And Wilson, now the league’s highest-paid player, is exactly the reason why.
The WNBA turned a profit for the first time in its 29-year history last season. The era of superstars being wildly underpaid is ending. And A’ja Wilson is leading that change the same way she leads everything else — from the front.