WASHINGTON (April 13, 2026) – The WNBA draft begins tonight at 7pm Eastern in New York. Azzi Fudd is the projected number 1 pick for the Dallas Wings, according to ESPN. To understand the weight of a number 1 draft pick, consider a conversation with Lisa Delpy Neirotti. Neirotti is the Director of the MS in Sport Management Program and associate professor of sport management at the George Washington University.
“The new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) significantly raises the salary cap from $1.5 million in 2025 to $7.5 million, allowing higher rookie salaries. The No. 1 overall pick is now set to earn $500,000 in their first year (over $2.2 million total across a 4-year rookie contract) and minimum salary for all rookies of $200,000” said Neirotti.
“Compare this to the 2025 WNBA #1 draft pick, Paige Bueckers, who received a base salary of $78,831 for the 2025 season as part of a four-year, $348,198 contract. Bueckers is allowed to renegotiate for higher in 2026 based on the "Exceptional Performance on Initial Contract" (EPIC) clause.”
If you would like to schedule an interview with Professor Neirotti, please contact Claire Sabin at claire [dot] sabin
gwu [dot] edu (claire[dot]sabin[at]gwu[dot]edu).
-GW-