Projected No. 1 WNBA Draft pick Paige Bueckers has inked a three-year contract with Unrivaled, a 3-on-3 league. Her first-year pay from the league’s 10-week season will reportedly top her entire four-year rookie deal in the WNBA.
If selected first overall, Bueckers would earn just $78,831 in her debut season under the WNBA’s collective bargaining agreement. In contrast, NBA rookies often command more than $10 million annually. This stark wage gap has reignited criticism of the WNBA’s pay structure and raised concerns about the league’s ability to retain top-tier talent.
WNBA Under Fire as Unrivaled Pays Paige Bueckers More Than WNBA Ever Could
Bueckers, fresh off leading UConn to a national championship on April 6, is set to join Unrivaled—a 3-on-3 basketball league founded by Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier.
While she signed a name, image, and likeness (NIL) deal with Unrivaled last year, which included equity in the league, Bueckers didn’t play during her college career. Now, she’s expected to earn more in one Unrivaled season than in all four years of her WNBA rookie contract.
Breaking: Paige Bueckers, projected to go No. 1 in tomorrow’s WNBA draft, has signed a 3-year deal with Unrivaled, sources tell ESPN. Her first-year salary with Unrivaled exceeds what she would make in her entire four-year rookie scale contract in the W. https://t.co/KiVs14yYhD
— Kendra Andrews (@kendra__andrews) April 14, 2025
The Dallas Wings hold the No. 1 pick in the upcoming WNBA Draft and are likely to select Bueckers. If so, she’ll make $78,831 in her first WNBA season, per the league’s collective bargaining agreement—a slight bump from Caitlin Clark’s $78,066 last year.
This number has sparked criticism.
“Dawg the first pick only gets 78k?? I knew the salaries in the W weren’t great but that seems so off of value, need to fix this,” one fan posted.
“Paige will be a good fit for Unrivaled. Went to 2 games and it is different. But everything is way more chill than the W,” another fan noted.
“No one cares. That league is not so interesting unless they change format.” another said
In contrast, Unrivaled’s average salary exceeds $200,000, and its debut season ended with over $27 million in revenue—more than double initial projections, according to sources. Rather than adding teams, the league plans to invest further in high-profile talent, with Bueckers, Caitlin Clark and A’ja Wilson as key targets.
Also Read: 5 Underrated Players in the 2025 WNBA Draft Class You Need To Know
Bueckers averaged 19.9 points, 4.9 assists and 4.4 rebounds on 53.4% shooting, including 41.9% from beyond the arc, in her final college season. While the WNBA salary structure—governed by market limitations—lags far behind the NBA’s, Unrivaled is positioning itself as a financially competitive alternative for elite women’s basketball talent.
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