On Sunday, April 13, ESPN’s Kendra Andrews reported that the projected No. 1 pick, Paige Bueckers, is signing a three-year deal with Unrivaled, a 3-on-3 league founded by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart.
Paige Bueckers Already Has Ownership in Unrivaled
Per Andrews, Bueckers’ salary from playing in the 10-week league will exceed her four-year rookie contract with the Dallas Wings assuming they choose her with the No. 1 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft. Bueckers is slated to earn $78,831 in her first year, according to the WNBA’s collective bargaining agreement.
Last year, Bueckers secured an NIL deal with Unrivaled, which, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania, has made it a priority to pursue WNBA stars with its 10-15% ownership pool, offering the highest average salaries in women’s sports history.
“With a 10-15 percent ownership pool for players, Unrivaled has been aggressive with the pursuit of WNBA stars by offering highest average salaries in women’s sports history. League cap for the 30 players will be at least $7.5 million, an average of $250,000.”
According to The New York Post, Unrivaled “has no salary cap or predetermined salary scale—and plenty of money to spend.” In its inaugural season, which ended in March, Unrivaled brought in over $27 million in revenue, “more than double what investors had projected.”
Bueckers was absent from the first Unrivaled season while she finished her college career with the UConn Huskies. Earlier this month, she won her first national title in the NCAA Tournament.
After UConn head coach Geno Auriemma subbed Bueckers out of the game, the two shared a heartfelt moment on the sideline. After the game, the two spoke with ESPN’s Holly Rowe about that exchange.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve been that emotional when a player’s walked off the court,” Auriemma said. Rowe asked Auriemma what he said to Bueckers.
“‘I love you,'” he told Rowe. “That’s all I could say. ‘I love you.'”
Bueckers also spoke with Rowe moments later.
“Unreal. Just so much gratitude for everything this program has meant to me,” Bueckers said. “For how much my teammates mean to me. And this is from the top to the bottom.”
During her final season at UConn, Bueckers averaged 19.9 points, 4.6 assists, and 4.4 rebounds while shooting 53% from the field, including 41.9% from 3-point range.
Bueckers wrapped up her college career with several honors, including the Wooden Award, Naismith Award, and the 2021 AP Player of the Year. She’s a three-time AP All-American, a three-time WBCA All-American, and a three-time Big East Player of the Year.
Bueckers will know exactly where she’ll play for the next four seasons when the WNBA Draft begins at 7:30 p.m. ET on Monday, April 14. With the first pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, the Dallas Wings select…