As Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese continue to generate interest in women’s basketball, bringing in droves of new fans, many believe Paige Bueckers is next in line to have a similar impact on the sport. The UConn Huskies star is expected to rule the college basketball scene in her final year with her alma mater before turning pro in 2025. However, she has other things lined up for her following her NCAA stint.
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Per NBA insider Shams Charania, the young guard will be signing a NIL deal with Unrivaled, a women’s three-on-three basketball league co-founded by Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier and New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart. It’s set to have its first season in January of 2025.
Bueckers will receive equity in the league in exchange for being one of the league’s faces. “Bueckers is expected to play in Unrivaled, along with the WNBA, after her college career is over,” Charania reported.
UConn’s Paige Bueckers is signing an NIL deal with the new women’s basketball league Unrivaled that makes her the first NCAA athlete to receive ownership equity in a league. Bueckers is expected to play in Unrivaled, along with the WNBA, after her college career is over. pic.twitter.com/NkPImheHig
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 1, 2024
The 22-year-old guard is the first college basketball player to sign a deal with Unrivaled. She’ll play with and against WNBA stars like Kelsey Plum, Arike Ogunbowale, and Angel Reese. Bueckers getting ownership rights while still being in college speaks volumes about her talent and popularity.
The two-time All-American is expected to cap off her college career with another exceptional campaign and enjoy a swansong similar to Clark’s. The Indiana Fever star capped off her stellar run with the Iowa Hawkeyes with a second straight appearance in the NCAA Championship Game.
Bueckers is expected to go one better and end the UConn women’s team’s eight-year wait for a championship. The guard, who won the AP Player of the Year award in 2021, should’ve been part of the 2024 draft class alongside Clark and Reese. However, she missed over half of the 2021-22 season and the entire 2022-23 campaign after suffering a tibial fracture and a meniscus tear.
At the time of her injury, Bueckers was considered the best college basketball player in the country. However, her lengthy absence paved the way for Clark to steal the spotlight with her historic performances. The guard is now looking to reclaim her place as the most exciting young women’s basketball player.
