WNBA players have welcomed an unprecedented salary increase this year under the new collective bargaining agreement. But the additional income will also come with an increase in fines.
The league has revised its fine structure for technical fouls, flagrant fouls, and flopping ahead of the 2026 season.
This year’s fines are, at most, 2.5 times more than last year, but they increased at a significantly lower rate than players’ salaries. The salary cap increased nearly 5 times from $1.5 million in 2025 to $7 million this year. The league minimum salary is $270,000 in 2026, about 4 times more than $66,079 last season.
Technical Fouls
Last year, the regular-season technical foul fine structure started at $200, moving to $400 for 4–6 technicals, and $800 for seven or more. The official breakdown for technical foul fines in the 2026 regular season are:
- Technical Foul 1–3: $500 fine each
- Technical Foul 4–7: $1,000 fine each, plus a warning letter from the league issued after the 5th technical
- Technical Foul 8: $1,500 fine, plus a one-game suspension
A player will be fined $1,500 for each technical received after their 8th, and will receive a one-game suspension for every other technical foul. (For example, a player will receive a $1,500 fine and suspension for their 10th and 12th technical, but only the fine for their 9th and 11th technical.)
The rules differ in the playoffs, when the count resets:
- Technical Foul 1–2: $500 fine each
- Technical Foul 3: $1,000 fine, plus a warning letter from the league
- Technical Foul 4: $1,500, plus a one-game suspension
Succeeding technical fouls will follow the same fine structure as the regular season rules.
Flagrant Fouls
Flagrant fouls are counted differently than technical fouls. There is a points system for flagrant fouls where a Flagrant 1 counts for one point and a Flagrant 2 counts for two points. Each point is worth $500, compared to $200 last year, a 2.5x increase.
Players will receive an automatic one-game suspension when they hit four points. A player will receive a two-game suspension if they are called for a Flagrant 2 while already accumulating 3 points, or if they hit six points.
Flopping
The league defines flopping as a “physical act that, following review, reasonably appears to be intended to cause the game officials to call a foul on another player.”
While the WNBA has issued fines for flopping before, the amounts were not reported. Beginning this season, a player will receive a warning for their first offense. They will receive a $100 fine for their second violation, and the fine will increase by $100 for each succeeding violation:
- Flop 1: Warning
- Flop 2: $100
- Flop 3: $200
- Flop 4: $300
- Flop 5: $400
Any additional violations may come with steeper penalties, including suspension, depending on a league evaluation.
