Breaking: UConn basketball’s High Profile Superstar to Sign Massive Deal With Unrivaled league, Receive Equity Stake

UConn standout Paige Bueckers is set to sign a name, image, and likeness (NIL) agreement with the newly established women’s basketball league, Unrivaled. However, she won’t be playing in the professional league until she completes her college career next year. This deal is thought to make her the first college athlete to obtain equity in a professional sports league.

According to sources close to the situation, Bueckers’ agreement with Unrivaled marks a significant milestone, as it comes in the wake of more flexible endorsement rules that allow college athletes to pursue various business opportunities. Specific details of the deal haven’t been disclosed.

Unrivaled was launched last year by WNBA players Breanna Stewart of the New York Liberty and Napheesa Collier of the Minnesota Lynx. The league is set to begin in January, just before the WNBA season.

Bueckers, a two-time NCAA All-American, is expected to play a prominent role in promoting the league, although she won’t take the court until after her senior season at UConn. In February, she declared her intention to skip the 2024 WNBA Draft to return for one more year of college basketball.

The purpose of Unrivaled is to offer WNBA players the chance to play domestically during their offseason, a shift from the previous norm where many had to go overseas to earn additional income. The league is designed to give equity stakes to all 30 players, ensuring that none earn less than six figures. In contrast, the maximum salary for WNBA players is approximately $ 250,000 per season.

The league will feature six teams competing in a full-court, 3-on-3 format. Among the players confirmed so far are Breanna Stewart, Napheesa Collier, Chelsea Gray, and Kelsey Plum from the Las Vegas Aces, along with Arike Ogunbowale from the Dallas Wings. Angel Reese of the Chicago Sky has become the first player from this year’s WNBA rookie class to sign with the league.

The league has attracted a notable group of investors, including UConn head coach Geno Auriemma, former NBA stars Carmelo Anthony and Steve Nash, soccer legends Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe, media executives John Skipper and David Levy, and actor Ashton Kutcher.