Paige Bueckers signing 3-year deal with Unrivaled: Source
Bueckers' first-year Unrivaled salary will exceed what she can earn in all four years of an WNBA rookie contract, a source said.
www.nytimes.comI don’t have live access to the latest updates right now, but here’s a concise summary of what has been reported about Paige Bueckers’ contract situation up to early 2025-2026 based on reputable outlets:
- Unrivaled deal before WNBA draft: Paige Bueckers reportedly signed a three-year contract with Unrivaled, the 3-on-3 women’s basketball league, with reporting indicating the first-year earnings would exceed what she could make under a standard four-year WNBA rookie deal. This was covered by multiple outlets in April 2025, including ESPN reporting and corroborating outlets.[1][2][3]
- WNBA rookie contract structure: Following the 2025 WNBA draft, Bueckers was projected to sign a standard rookie deal with the Dallas Wings (if drafted No. 1). The initial 2025 season salary was reported to be just under $79,000, with the potential to rise into six figures by the final year if the team exercised options, per Spotrac-based reporting.[5]
- Media reactions and context: The arrangement drew commentary and analysis from various sports outlets, including SI, Sporting News, and others, highlighting how her Unrivaled deal compared to WNBA earnings and signaling the evolving landscape for top players considering multiple leagues.[7][8][9]
Key takeaways for understanding the landscape:
- Bueckers pursued a multi-front professional path by engaging with Unrivaled ahead of the WNBA draft, paying attention to immediate earnings and potential equity or branding opportunities tied to the upstart league.[3][1]
- If she joined the WNBA as the projected No. 1 pick (Dallas Wings), her first-year WNBA salary would be around the low $70k–$80k range per the standard rookie scale, with growth possible through option years and raises over the contract, per Spotrac-derived figures.[5]
- The Unrivaled contract’s broader implications involve pay scales for top female players and the viability of alternative leagues competing for talent, a topic widely discussed in early 2025 media coverage.[2][8]
Would you like me to pull the most recent updates and verify whether there have been any changes since spring 2025, or to compare Bueckers’ reported contracts side-by-side with the 2026 WNBA salary scales? If you want, I can also summarize how the Unrivaled deal was structured (length, guarantees, equity) and how it interacts with her potential WNBA earnings, with direct citations.