In an unprecedented move, Paige Bueckers is set to earn more in her first year with Unrivaled than her entire WNBA rookie contract. This groundbreaking three-year deal with the new professional women’s basketball league, which debuted in Miami this offseason, was reported by ESPN’s Kendra Andrews on Sunday.
Unrivaled, co-founded by WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, aims to offer the highest average salaries in professional sports, and the lucrative contract awarded to Bueckers reaffirms this commitment.
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According to reports, Bueckers will earn over $330,000 for just ten weeks of play, surpassing her four-year rookie deal. For comparison, Caitlin Clark recently signed a four-year rookie contract worth $338,056 with the Indiana Fever.
In its inaugural season, Unrivaled players averaged $220,000 in salary, closely mirroring the maximum WNBA salary.
“We are really changing the outlook of the ecosystem holistically,” stated Alex Bazzell, president of Unrivaled, in an interview with SB Nation. “You’re seeing more leagues bumping up their pay because that’s where the space is now. We’re proud to play a part in that growth of just the economics of these players being paid a lot of money to play basketball. At the end of the day, we want to be able to pay them high salaries on the court.”
From its inception, Unrivaled has focused on attracting WNBA stars, currently featuring prominent players like Angel Reese, Sabrina Ionescu, and Brittney Griner, while also prioritizing the recruitment of Clark and A’ja Wilson for the upcoming season. Bueckers’ three-year deal aligns with her previous NIL agreement that included equity in the league, which she signed last year alongside LSU star Flau’jae Johnson.
Unrivaled’s Financial Success in Year One
According to Annie Costabile from Front Office Sports, Unrivaled nearly broke even in its first year, with revenue exceeding $27 million—more than double what was initially projected to investors.
The league aims for profitability in the coming year, bolstered by a media partnership with TNT and various corporate sponsors. Merchandise sales, which totaled $1.4 million, are expected to rise as negotiations with the WNBA union concluded late in the season.
As the WNBA prepares for new collective bargaining agreement negotiations next summer, the emergence of Unrivaled shines a light on the limited pay structures for stars in women’s basketball.
