That’s all thanks to the WNBA’s new landmark collective bargaining agreement, which increased the salary cap to $7 million in 2026, up from $1.5 million in 2025. The year-one maximum rose to $1.4 million, and the minimum increased up to $300,000, with average salaries exceeding $583,000. 

Ogunbowale will earn about $1.2 million in 2026, according to the Her Hoop Stats WNBA Salary Cap Database. That figure makes her and reigning co-defensive player of the year Alanna Smith the highest-paid on the Wings roster. 

“I know it’s deserved,” Ogunbowale said Tuesday after practice in Arlington. “Every year, it’s going to keep going up. My future kids [are] hopefully going to be making like 20M by the time they get to this level, but it’s definitely a blessing to be a part of the change. 

“I think I’m right in the middle where I saw the end of the old WNBA and now, I’m seeing the new WNBA.” 

Ogunbowale, drafted in the first round by the Wings in 2019, re-signed with the organization on a multiyear deal during free agency. She qualified for the league supermaximum, but took a pay cut to help the team’s roster-building efforts. 

“God has blessed me with a good amount of money outside the court that I knew that in order to win here, you have to take less,” Ogunbowale said. “All the greats have done it.” 

The league and its players’ union spent months past the deadline negotiating the new CBA and did not come to terms on a deal until March 18.  

Ogunbowale, who in the offseason played in Miami-based 3-on-3 women’s basketball league Unrivaled, also played overseas in China. Before domestic leagues such as Unrivaled launched, many WNBA players often spent time competing abroad in the offseason to make up for their low league salaries. 

“That was my first time [playing overseas] in like four years,” Ogunbowale said. “I signed around November, December. We didn’t know what was going to go on with the season. … I had a great time. They treated me really well. I enjoyed it and made a lot of money.” 

Wings training camp opened while Ogunbowale competed in China, giving her little time to prepare with the new roster ahead of the team’s season opener against the Indiana Fever on Saturday.  

“There’s a lot of loyalty from both sides,” Ogunbowale said. “I’m excited to build.”