Paige Bueckers Signs NIL Deal With Unrivaled League, Receives Equity Stake
By Colin Lyle
Last Updated on August 8, 2024
UConn basketball star Paige Bueckers will become the first NCAA athlete to have ownership equity in a league after signing a name, image, and likeness deal with the new 3-on-3 women’s basketball league Unrivaled.
Former UConn stars and current WNBA players Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier are creating the league as a domestic option for WNBA players to earn money in the offseason. Unrivaled will play games from January to March before the start of the WNBA season in May.
Bueckers, a senior, is set to join in January 2026 following the completion of her collegiate career and first WNBA season, according to the Athletic. Bueckers already boasts an expansive NIL catalog that includes Gatorade, Crocs, Topps, Leaf Trading Cards, and even a sneaker deal with Nike. Her $1 million On3 NIL Valuation ranks her No. 19 among all college athletes.
“Blessed and grateful to be a part of this amazing league,” Bueckers posted to X. “To take an active role in the growth of women’s sports is a dream come true. Excited for the future, it’s just the beginning!”
More college athletes are expected to be joining Bueckers with a NIL campaign set to begin closer to the women’s college basketball season, according to WNBA reporter Khristina Williams.
A New Way to Play and Earn
Unrivaled will start with six franchises and 30 players total. Initial players will receive equity ownership, and the league salary cap will be at least $7.5 million, an average salary of $250,000 per player. The WNBA supermax contract rate for the 2024 season is $241,984 and will rise to $264,423 by the 2027 season.
The games will be shorter and will be played on a smaller court. Increased spacing on the court should lead to more scoring and an entertaining atmosphere to grow the women’s game even more than the recent popularity boom it has seen. The league’s first season will start in January 2025.
“It feels like everyone is benefitting from women’s sports except for the people that are in women’s sports,” Collier said in an interview. “We kind of just wanted to take hold of our future and create something for ourselves.”
The current roster of players, including Collier and Stewart, has Chelsea Gray, Arike Ogunbowale, Jewell Loyd, Kelsey Plum, Rhyne Howard, Kahleah Copper, Jackie Young, and Angel Reese. All 10 players have made at least one WNBA All-Star team, setting up the league to be extremely competitive.
Bueckers is coming off a big season for the Huskies, where she averaged 21.8 points per game and led her team to another Final Four appearance. The star has a bright future ahead of her on and off the hardwood court thanks to some impressive NIL deals she has secured.
