WNBA’s Paige Bueckers’ business savvy prompts Unrivaled investment

Paige Bueckers has had an eventful month.

During the first Sunday of the month, Bueckers helped lift UConn women’s basketball back to the mountaintop. The Huskies knocked off the defending champion South Carolina Gamecocks to secure Bueckers first career NCAA title.

On Sunday, sources confirmed to ESPN that Bueckers was set to ink a three-year deal with the upstart Unrivaled, a professional women’s 3-on-3 league. On Monday, Bueckers was the first player selected in the 2025 WNBA Draft.

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Paige Bueckers poses with WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert after being selected with the number one overall pick to the Dallas Wings in the 2025 WNBA Draft at The Shed at Hudson Yards. (Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images)

Unrivaled is expected to pay Bueckers more over its 10-week season, than her WNBA rookie salary will yield over the league’s record-high 44 games during the 2025 season. But, on Wednesday, Bueckers’ April whirlwind took another spin when she announced she was an investor in Unrivaled.

The Dallas Wings rookie confirmed her investment stake during an appearance on “Good Morning America” on Wednesday.

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“I mean, investments in women’s sports — I feel like the return on investment has been amazing,” Bueckers said. “Even the first year (of Unrivaled), the numbers were shocking. They just blew it out of the water. And just to invest so much in women’s sports, it’s growing at an all-time high, and it’s just a great time to be in women’s sports.”

The average Unrivaled salary was more than $220,000. Bueckers’ four-year WNBA deal’s base salary would be just under $350,000.

Connecticut Huskies guard Paige Bueckers (5) reacts during the first half against the South Carolina Gamecocks of the national championship of the women’s 2025 NCAA tournament at Amalie Arena.  (Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images)

Bueckers is just the latest high-profile investor in Unrivaled.

In December, the league announced $28 million in funding from a group that included Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo, South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley and USC star JuJu Watkins. Other investors include tennis star Coco Cauff, retired soccer star Alex Morgan and retired NBA star Carmelo Anthony.

Before she steps on the floor for Unrivaled, though, Bueckers has her rookie WNBA season awaiting her.

UConn guard Paige Bueckers addresses fans after her last game at Gampel Pavilion at the end of a second round game against South Dakota State in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Monday, March 24, 2025, in Storrs, Conn.  (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

After making the talk-show rounds, Bueckers will be headed to Texas to make appearances and prepare for training camp, which begins April 27.

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The Wings open the season on May 16 against the Minnesota Lynx, and they face Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever on June 27, which could represent a summit showdown of the two players expected to be the face of the league for the foreseeable future.

“Just to join a city and organization that embraces you, I’ve felt so much love already and I haven’t even set foot in Dallas yet,” Bueckers said. “Everyone has been loving me and embracing me with open arms.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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