Aliyah Boston Makes WNBA History With Record $6.3M Deal

Aliyah Boston has broken the record for the largest deal in the WNBA, signing a $6.3 million contract extension with the Indiana Fever. She also becomes the first WNBA player to sign a deal under the recently established Exceptional Performance on Initial Contract (EPIC) provision.

The deal comes just two days after A’ja Wilson had signed a $5 million deal with the Las Vegas Aces. Now, Boston has surpassed her as the highest-paid player in WNBA history. 

Boston’s Career 

Boston has been a standout player from the moment she entered the league. Before turning pro, Boston built a legacy at the University of South Carolina. She led the Gamecocks to an NCAA championship in 2022 and earned National Player of the Year honors. 

Drafted No. 1 overall by the Indiana Fever in 2023, she quickly established herself as one of the WNBA’s most dominant young players. She won Rookie of the Year in 2023 and earned an All-Star selection in her debut season, proving to be an asset to the Fevers with her defensive presence and scoring ability.

“Entering just her fourth season, Aliyah is already one of the best players in the WNBA. We’re thrilled to be able to reward her with this new contract and make history, and most importantly, lock her in as a cornerstone of the Fever for years to come,” said Indiana Fever COO and General Manager Amber Cox. 

Now with a record-breaking deal, Boston’s career is paving the way for the future of the sport. 

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New WNBA Regulations Reshape Player Pay

Boston’s contract comes as the WNBA and the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) move toward a new Collective Bargaining Agreement set to take effect in 2026.

The updated agreement introduces structural changes designed to increase player earnings, improve benefits, and modernize contract negotiations. A key focus is creating more flexibility for teams while ensuring players receive compensation that reflects the league’s rapid growth.

The WNBA projects that player salaries and benefits will collectively total more than $1 billion under the seven-year agreement. 

In addition, the agreement includes mechanisms like EPIC, which allow standout players on rookie deals to renegotiate and secure significantly higher salaries before their initial contracts expire.

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Gender Disparities 

While Boston’s deal is certainly worth celebrating, it comes at a time when the pay disparity between the WNBA and NBA is facing increasing scrutiny. Players in the WNBA make between $62,000-$74,000 in their first year, while players in the NBA make between $1-10 million in the same time period. 

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This gap reflects longstanding structural inequality in investment, revenue, and media coverage between men’s and women’s sports. 

During the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game in Indianapolis, the players drew attention to the astonishing pay disparities. Before game tip-off, all the players walked out of the changing rooms wearing black t-shirts printed “Pay Us What You Owe Us,” a bold statement drawing awareness to the issue. 

The Future of the WNBA 

Deals like Boston’s and the Collective Bargaining Agreement signal a shift. As the league grows in visibility and commercial value, players’ salaries are beginning to rise.

“While the gap to the NBA remains significant, moments like this suggest the direction of travel is changing. We are already seeing signs of similar progress in women’s football, where investment and visibility are slowly pushing the game forward. If growth is sustained, record-breaking deals may become less of an expectation and more of a norm in the years ahead,” said Nicole Powell, deputy content editor at Sports News Blitz and site manager at ExtraTime Talk to UrbanGeekz.

For now, Boston’s deal is both a milestone and a measure of how far the league still has to go.

Main image Caption: Aliyah Boston playing for the University of South Carolina, Photo by Katie Dugan