The Next presents: Your 2020 WNBA salary cap sheets

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Presenting, as we embark on an incredibly consequential offseason: the WNBA salary cap sheets, updated through October 8, 2020.

What I’ve done here, to the best of my ability, is to synthesize all the information I have about player salaries, what 2020 looked like for each team — I combined, for instance, seven-day money with rest-of-season money, when applicable, to illustrate what the player’s total cost to her team was — and to chart it into 2023, so any and all potential moves can be measured against both the team’s potential obligations, and the possible fit from any trade between teams.

Briefly, on why I do this: it’s not idle curiosity. For decades, the lack of this basic information has contributed to a scarcity of WNBA offseason coverage. For instance: I was once approached by a team several years ago after that team signed one of its biggest stars to a contract extension, with the suggestion I write a story about the new deal. How long is she signed for? Team wouldn’t say. How much is her deal worth? Team wouldn’t say.

Imagine thinking there could be coverage from that.

Accordingly, this work is not behind a paywall. In the coming weeks and months, our incredible team at The Next will be using this information to both provide a baseline of offseason expectations for all 12 teams, and utilizing it to evaluate, vet and analyze potential moves as well.

But this is for everyone who does the good work of covering the league, and the fans who obsess over their teams. There are more of us all the time, and it is my belief — reinforced by many media members I’ve spoken to — that this will help us do our jobs. It certainly helps me do mine.

I do ask two things: if you use it, please credit us. And if you can, this is very time-consuming, so supporting The Next financially helps us keep doing this work.

And with that… dig in!