The 2026 WNBA playoffs have begun. During the day one matchups, the eighth-seeded New York Liberty beat the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx 91-75, the Las Vegas Aces beat the Indiana Fever 102-85, and the Golden State Valkyries beat the Dallas Wings 104-80. The Atlanta Dream also rallied after trailing at halftime to beat the Washington Mystics. As a result, the Lynx, Fever, Wings, and Mystics all face elimination with one additional loss.

These games signify an important turning point for the business of women’s sport. The 2026 WNBA playoffs represent the first postseason played under the league’s new collective bargaining agreement . It’s also the first postseason under the WNBA’s new media rights deals . As a result, a deep playoff run for any team carries far more financial weight for the players than it did in 2025.

While the growth of the women’s basketball and the WNBA has been well documented over the previous seasons, determining how much of that growth reaches the athletes has been harder to answer. Past playoff bonuses were small, and players would speak openly about the gap between the value they created and the pay they received. This postseason offers a first look at whether the new system can close that gap.

Growing WNBA Player Bonuses

The new agreement came together in March, roughly 17 months after current WNBA players had opted out of the old deal. It set the 2026 salary cap at $7 million, equating to more than four times the $1.5 million cap in 2025. The average salary this season is about $583,000, with the minimum salary starting at $270,000, more than the largest contract a player could sign in 2025.

Bonuses for playoff success grew as well. Each player on this year’s championship team will receive $60,000, which is up significantly from the $22,908 players received in 2025. Players on the runner-up team will receive $20,000 each, which is up from $8,521 in 2025. The Finals MVP will earn a $30,000 bonus, up from $5,000. These bonus amounts will also increase in upcoming seasons as the salary cap grows.

Under the old deal, the bonus structure sent a confusing message. In 2025, players on the Indiana Fever earned $30,000 for winning the midseason Commissioner’s Cup. That was more than each player on the champion Las Vegas Aces later received for winning the league title. Caitlin Clark pointed out the mismatch at the time stating, “You get more [money] for this than you do if you’re the [WNBA Finals] champion,” said Clark during the postgame celebration. “It makes no sense.” In comparison, NBA champions each earn over $800,000 in playoff bonus money. And while the new WNBA bonuses still sit far below that figure, the new deal moves playoff pay closer to the value the postseason creates, and it ties future increases to league growth.

The Business Behind The Bonuses

A new Deloitte report recently predicted that global revenue in women’s elite sports will reach at least $3 billion in 2026, which is an increase of 340% since 2022. Deloitte also predicts matchday revenue, which includes tickets and spending inside arenas, could reach up to $911 million this year. The recent WNBA’s media deals also represent a large part of the growth. Specifically, the league’s national TV and streaming agreements now exceed $3 billion in total value and media outlets put a record 216 regular season games on national platforms during the 2026 season.

This year’s Finals will air on NBC and USA Network, which will be the first time since 2000 that no Disney network will carry the series. This network shift represents major growth given that the league has expanded beyond relying heavily on a single primary partner (Disney/ESPN) to a multi-billion-dollar, multi-network package involving three powerhouse companies. NBC averaged 1.75 million viewers across its seven regular season games, the highest average among the league’s partners. Fans are showing up in person, too, with teams like the Toronto Tempo breaking regular season attendance records (20,996 fans).

The first round of the WNBA playoffs continues on Tuesday with two matchups. The Aces visit the Fever in Indianapolis and the Minnesota Lynx travel to New York to face the Liberty. Both the Fever and Lynx are in must win situations to keep their seasons alive, as both face the possibility of elimination.