Paige Bueckers hasn’t even stepped into the WNBA yet, but she’s already changing the game.

The UConn star, fresh off leading the Huskies to a national championship, is taking a different route to start her professional career. Instead of waiting to hear her name called as the No. 1 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, Bueckers has agreed to sign with Unrivaled, the emerging 3-on-3 women’s basketball league co-founded by WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier.

This isn’t just a detour, it’s a statement. According to ESPN’s Kendra Andrews, Bueckers will earn more in her first 10-week Unrivaled season than she would across four years on a WNBA rookie contract. For context, the top pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft would make $78,831 in their first year, based on the current collective bargaining agreement.

Unrivaled, backed by private investment and focused on raising pay and visibility for women’s basketball, is offering Bueckers something that the WNBA hasn’t yet: financial leverage.

New Path, Same Goal

Paige Bueckers (Photo By Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images)
Bueckers isn’t turning her back on the WNBA. In fact, the Unrivaled season won’t overlap with the W’s schedule, meaning she still plans to join the Dallas Wings if they select her with the top pick. But by signing a three-year deal with Unrivaled First, she’s choosing to build her brand and bank account on her terms.

Her move sends a ripple through the women’s basketball landscape. It’s not just about one player picking a different starting point- it’s about what that choice says. The WNBA is entering the final year of its current CBA, and salaries for rookies like Bueckers have not kept pace with the league’s growing popularity. That’s a problem, especially with new competitors like Unrivaled offering a more lucrative path.

Even her UConn teammate Azzi Fudd, who led the team in scoring during the Final Four, chose to delay entering the WNBA Draft. “I’m a big pros and cons list-er,” she told ESPN’s Alexa Philippou, citing the need to weigh her options carefully.

For now, Bueckers is doing just that, carving out a future that suits her. The WNBA might still be her long-term home, but she’s not waiting around to be underpaid.