The basketball world just got flipped on its head—and Paige Bueckers is the one holding the compass.
UConn superstar and projected No. 1 WNBA draft pick Paige Bueckers made headlines this week not for where she’s going in the WNBA, but for what she’s doing outside of it. The 22-year-old phenom just inked a groundbreaking three-year contract with Unrivaled, the new 3-on-3 women’s pro league co-founded by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart. The deal? Reportedly worth more than a WNBA rookie max contract in just one season.
Let that sink in.
A New Era of Women’s Hoops
This isn’t just a sports headline—it’s a major shift in the women’s basketball landscape. For years, WNBA rookies (even the generational ones like Bueckers) have entered the league earning less than $80K in base salary. That’s not nothing, but in a world where male counterparts are signing multimillion-dollar shoe deals before their NBA debuts, it’s jarring.
Enter Unrivaled—a league created by the players, for the players. With a short but powerful 10-week season and team equity built into contracts, Unrivaled is prioritizing what the WNBA has struggled with: player empowerment and pay equity.
And Paige saw that vision.
Her Unrivaled contract reportedly includes a first-year salary that exceeds the entire value of a four-year WNBA rookie deal. Not to mention: travel perks, flexible media opportunities, and the freedom to play in both leagues (yes, she’s still entering the WNBA Draft and expected to go No. 1 to the Dallas Wings).
It’s a bag—and a blueprint.
Why This Is Bigger Than Just Money
This isn’t just about one player getting a payday. It’s about challenging a system that’s long undervalued women in sports.
Let’s be real: Paige Bueckers has been the moment since she stepped onto the UConn court. She was the first freshman ever to win the Naismith Player of the Year. Her games broke viewership records. She has brand deals with Nike, Gatorade, and Crocs. She’s not just a hooper—she’s a cultural icon.
And yet, under the current WNBA salary structure, she’d earn just under $80K in Year 1.
That math isn’t mathing.
With Unrivaled, she gets to take control. She’s not waiting for systemic change—she’s creating it. The league is setting a new standard by putting money, ownership, and influence directly into the players’ hands. It’s athlete-first, media-savvy, and unapologetically ambitious.
Paige Bueckers’ Power Play
For Bueckers, this contract signals more than financial freedom—it’s a power move. She’s aligning with a league that values her not just as a basketball player, but as a brand, a leader, and a voice for change.
Her decision could open the floodgates for others, too. Now, other college stars (and even WNBA vets) have a legit alternative route—a place where they can thrive financially without having to go overseas or rely on secondary income sources.
This move could be to women’s hoops what the G League Ignite or LIV Golf was to their sports: a disruptor.
And she’s doing it all while staying in the WNBA Draft. Yes, she’s still taking her talents to Dallas, but now she’ll have two leagues supporting her. It’s not either/or—it’s both/and. The Unrivaled contract just gives her leverage.
The Future Is Female—and Funded
Paige Bueckers isn’t just changing teams—she’s changing the narrative. For too long, women in basketball have been told to wait their turn. To settle. To grind in silence for half the pay and half the spotlight.
No more.
This deal is about building something that lasts. It’s about the next generation of young girls watching Bueckers and realizing they don’t have to choose between passion and paycheck.
It’s about rewriting the rules. And this time, the players have the pen.