What happened: The WNBA named Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese to the 2026 All-WNBA Second Team on October 24, according to the Dream’s release. Teammate Rhyne Howard was also named. An All-WNBA First or Second Team selection is one of the honors that trigger the Exceptional Performance on Initial Contract (EPIC) provision of the 2026 collective bargaining agreement (CBA). The Spun reports that she is eligible to sign a maximum contract in her fourth season under the provision. The Dream’s release does not mention a contract.
What EPIC says: The Indiana Fever’s April 17 release describes the provision this way: it “enables top-performing players on rookie contracts to renegotiate the final year of their rookie contract as part of a multi-year extension, contingent upon being named to either the All-WNBA First or Second Team, or named Most Valuable Player within their first three years of play.” The league’s March 20 CBA announcement calls it an expedited pathway to maximum-level contracts for players on rookie deals who earn MVP or All-WNBA First or Second Team honors. The WNBA text does not say which maximum applies to a renegotiated year.
Reese’s timeline: Per CBS Atlanta and Spotrac, Chicago drafted Reese seventh overall in 2024, which makes 2026 her third WNBA season. Her four-year rookie-scale contract was originally valued at $324,383, per CBS Atlanta, and the new CBA adjusted existing rookie-scale contracts upward. The Dream acquired her from the Chicago Sky on April 6 for first-round picks in 2027 and 2028, plus a right to swap second-round picks in 2028. On April 27 the Dream exercised her fourth-year option, per CBS Atlanta, which quoted general manager Dan Padover: “It was an easy decision to pick up Angel’s fourth-year option.” Spotrac lists the 2027 salary at $396,282, and The Spun reports the same figure. The 2027 season is the final year of the contract.
The Boston precedent: The Fever re-signed center Aliyah Boston to a multiyear agreement through the 2029 season, and the release says she became the first player in WNBA history to sign under EPIC. Boston was drafted in 2023, was named to the All-WNBA Second Team in 2025, her third season, and was entering the fourth and final year of her rookie contract in 2026. Reese was drafted in 2024 and was named in 2026, also her third season. The Fever’s release does not give Boston’s dollar terms.
What the maximum is: The league’s CBA announcement set the 2026 salary cap at $7.0 million and said maximum-contract players earn $1.4 million in 2026. Sports Illustrated reports a separate, lower standard maximum of $1.19 million for 2026 that applies to players who do not qualify for the supermax. The league’s announcement does not make that distinction, and outlets describe the EPIC salary terms differently.
What is not settled: Eligibility is not a signed deal. The Dream’s release and the league’s announcements do not address a renegotiation, and they do not state a salary for a renegotiated 2027 season. No statement from the Dream or Reese about a renegotiation was found as of October 25.
Primary sources: Atlanta Dream release on the All-WNBA Second Team; Indiana Fever release on Aliyah Boston (WNBA.com); WNBA and WNBPA CBA announcement; Atlanta Dream release on the Reese trade; WNBA.com 2026 All-WNBA Second Team highlights; Spotrac: Angel Reese contract; CBS Atlanta on the option; The Spun via Yahoo Sports; Sports Illustrated on the WNBA salary cap and max contracts
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