Projected 2025 WNBA No. 1 pick Paige Bueckers has inked a lucrative deal with the 3-on-3 league Unrivaled, ESPN’s Kendra Andrews reported on Sunday. The three-year contract reportedly pays her more in just the first year than she would earn in her first contract as a WNBA rookie.
Bueckers recently wrapped up her college career at UConn with a national championship, leading the Huskies to an 82-59 win over South Carolina and cementing her status as one of the sport’s brightest stars.
Rookies selected in the top four of the draft are slated to earn $348,198 over four years, starting with $78,831 in Year 1. But Andrews noted that Bueckers’ deal with Unrivaled — a league founded by UConn legends Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier — already tops that figure.
While she had previously signed with Unrivaled during her college days, Paige Bueckers didn’t compete in the league’s debut season, which saw a Rose BC squad led by Angel Reese, Chelsea Gray, Kahleah Copper, Brittney Sykes, Azura Stevens and Lexie Hull win the title.
In her final year at UConn, Bueckers averaged 19.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game, shooting an efficient 53.4% from the field and 41.9% from beyond the arc.
John Ezekiel Hirro is an experienced NBA and WNBA journalist at Sportskeeda, with over five years in the field as a news correspondent, sports writer, and Editor-in-Chief. His sports writing career began in high school, where he garnered numerous accolades, including being named the national sports writing champion in 2016.
He earned his journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines in 2024 and served as the Editor-in-Chief of The Varsitarian, the university’s official student publication, for four years—the longest in history.
A passionate basketball enthusiast, he became a fan of the OKC Thunder during the Russ-KD-Harden era. Russell Westbrook, his all-time favorite athlete, impressed him by stepping up as MVP after Kevin Durant’s departure. His current favorite players include Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, who he believes are the future of the OKC franchise.
He excels in game analysis and rapid news story turnaround, drawing inspiration from the journalistic styles of Woj and Shams. He emphasizes thorough research to ensure accuracy in his articles. One of his most memorable moments is Russell Westbrook breaking Oscar Robertson’s record with his 42nd triple-double and securing a 106-105 victory over the Denver Nuggets with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer. Outside of writing, he enjoys listening to music and creating Spotify playlists.
