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WNBA Union Increases All-Star Prize Money to $170,000 Even With New CBA
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- WNBA Union Increases All-Star Prize Money to $170,000 Even With New CBA
CHICAGO — Following a historic CBA that significantly increased player wages , the WNBA's union has secured another increase ahead of the 2026 All-Star weekend.
The WNBPA will provide $170,000 in additional prize money to the top performers of the 3-Point Contest and Shooting Stars Challenge, an increase from last year when they distributed $115,000 . Aflac, an insurance company, is funding the prizes, which will be split into $85,000 for each of the two contests.
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While the union has been providing additional prize money to contest winners since 2024, this is the first year it's offering more money to non-winners. The winner of the 3-Point Contest will get an additional $40,000, while second place will take home $30,000, and third place will receive $15,000.
This is on top of the money rewarded by the league. According to the new CBA, each 3-Point Contest participant will receive $10,000, while the winner would get an additional $20,000 for a total of $30,000.
Including the WNBPA's additional prize money, the breakdown for the 3-Point Contest winner is as follows:
First Place:$70,000
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Second Place:$40,000
Third Place:$25,000
This year's 3-Point Contest is headlined by 2026 No. 1 pick Azzi Fudd and All-Stars Marina Mabrey and Rhyne Howard . Bridget Carleton , Natisha Hiedeman , and Sixth Woman of the Year favorite Janelle Salaün round out the field.
The Shooting Stars challenge winners will also receive a split of $85,000. Given the contest's change from Skills Challenge to Shooting Stars this year, the WNBPA and Aflac are still undecided on how the money will be distributed. The Shooting Stars challenge is a team-based challenge where each team has a current player, a WNBA legend, and a Nike EYBL youth player.
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The Nike EYBL players for Shooting Stars have yet to be announced, but the legend–current player duos of each are:
Minnesota :Rebekkah Brunson, Courtney Williams
Seattle :Lauren Jackson, Flau'jae Johnson
Washington:Elena Delle Donne, Shakira Austin
Dallas/Detroit:Deanna Nolan, Jessica Shepard
There is no exact wording in the CBA on how the WNBA's prize money will be distributed to Shooting Stars participants. A source familiar with the situation tells FOS that current players are expected to receive $7,500 for participating, while the winner will take home an additional $15,000, which is the same breakdown for prize money allocated to the Skills Challenge in the CBA.
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The WNBPA and Aflac have been providing additional prize money for All-Star contest winners since 2024, which started by giving $55,000 each to the winners of the 3-Point Contest and what was then the Skills Challenge. The idea was to match or bridge the gap with the prize money received by the NBA's contest winners, which are $60,000 for the 3-Point Contest and $55,000 for the Skills Challenge.
Under the WNBA's previous CBA, the winner of each contest would only get $2,575 from the league, while each participant would take home $1,030. The minimum WNBA salary was below $70,000, while the maximum salary hovered around $250,000.
In 2024, Allisha Gray won both the Skills Challenge and 3-Point Contest and took home $110,000 in additional prize money from the union— more than half of her 2024 salary of $185,000 . Last year, 3-Point Contest winner Sabrina Ionescu pledged half of her prize money to fellow contest participant Sonia Citron , whose rookie contract was $78,831 last year.
WNBA salaries have increased significantly under the new CBA, with salaries starting at $270,000 and maximum contracts hitting up to $1.4 million annually.
