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When Paige Bueckers’ reported $350,000 payday with the new 3-on-3 league Unrivaledhit social media just days before the WNBA Draft, the league’s co-founder dropped a single emoji on X of a face giving a salute. That’s it. A salute. No caption, no quote, just a quiet nod that said everything.
Paige Bueckers legs tremble from vertigo atop the Empire State during WNBA Draft moment
Coming from Stewart, one of the loudest voices for pay equity in women’s basketball, it landed like a mic drop.
Bueckers, the UConn star projected to go No. 1 overall to the Dallas Wings, hasn’t even stepped onto a WNBA court yet. But she’s already out-earning her rookie contract. According to Front Office Sports, her deal with Unrivaled is worth over $350,000 for just one season-more than her entire four-year WNBA salary, which is capped at $348,198.
For Stewart, who’s spent years pushing for change in a league where top salaries still pale in comparison to global options, Bueckers’ move is both validation and victory. It signals something bigger than just one player cashing in.
Women’s hoops just hit a turning point and Paige Bueckers is right in the middle of it
Unrivaled is doing things differently. With only 36 players, no teams, and a short 8-week season, the league is betting big on marketability and flexibility. It launched last year and blew past expectations, bringing in $27 million in revenue and attracting stars like A’ja Wilson.
Bueckers wasn’t just invited to the party-she helped build it. As a college athlete, she signed an NIL equity deal with Unrivaled, alongside LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson. That investment is already paying off. And now, she’s stepping into a bigger role.
With a résumé that includes AP Player of the Year as a freshman and a long road back from injury, Bueckers has been in the spotlight for years. But this next chapter? It’s different. It’s not just about how she plays. It’s about how she’s changing the game off the court, too.
And Stewart knows it.
Bueckers’ WNBA salary with the Wings will start at just under $79K. That’s standard under the current CBA. But it also highlights why so many players-Stewart included-have spent offseasons playing overseas just to balance the books.
Now, with leagues like Unrivaled offering six-figure payouts stateside, the landscape is shifting. Quickly.
As the WNBA Draft approaches, there’s no more guesswork. Bueckers is ready, financially and professionally. And with that one emoji, Breanna Stewart might’ve just summed it up best.
This news was originally published on this post .
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