Former UConn star Paige Bueckers is signing a three-year deal with the Unrivaled 3-on-3 league, multiple outlets have reported.
Bueckers, the No. 1 overall pick of the Dallas Wings in the WNBA draft Monday evening, signed a name, image and likeness deal with Unrivaled last year that gave her equity in the fledgling league.
What that means is the 6-foot All-America guard stands to make considerably more money each year during the 10-week Unrivaled season than she will on her four-year WNBA rookie deal.
The average salary in the inaugural Unrivaled season in 2025 was more than $220,000. As the top overall pick in the WNBA draft, Bueckers stands to earn about $80,000 in her first season, according to the league’s collective bargaining agreement.
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert addressed the pay disparity Monday, speaking to the challenge of paying over 190 players versus 30, and also noted that sponsorship dollars can even the playing field.
“What the WNBA offers is a huge platform to our players around their corporate partners,” Cathy Engelbert said. “There’s not one sporting event today where you don’t see an ad spot with a WNBA player in it.
Bueckers, 23, averaged 19.9 points, 4.6 assists and 4.4 rebounds in 38 games in 2024-25 and led the Huskies (37-3) to their first national championship since 2016.
She was a three-time All-American, the national player of the year in 2021 and one of the most popular players in women’s basketball.
–Field Level Media
