When Caitlin Clark entered the WNBA, she made an immediate impact. She single-handedly took care of the league’s popularity, bringing along a phenomenon that’s now called the ‘Caitlin Clark Effect‘. Therefore, it was surprising to see that the rookie was receiving merely $76,500 in salary. Compare that with her millions through endorsements, and the WNBA paycheck is sure to boil anyone’s blood. This year, with conversations of Paige Bueckers Effect also taking place, the UConn star guard is facing a similar situation. However, she is not waiting to get her worth; she is rewriting the script in her own way. Thanks to Breanna Stewart and Naphessa Collier.

Leaving basketball insiders stunned, Bueckers made a bold move, signing with the 12-week-old Unrivaled league before locking in her WNBA rookie deal. The glaring reality? Her first-year Unrivaled salary will top her entire four-year WNBA rookie contract. Now, that is sure to put some pressure on Cathy Engelbert’s league. 

UConn on SNY put it bluntly on X: “Per @Kendra_Andrews, Paige Bueckers is signing a three-year deal with Unrivaled. Her first-year Unrivaled salary would be worth more than her entire rookie-scale deal in the WNBA.”

She deserves it all, though. Maybe even more. After all, she is not just a player who lit up UConn games with her braids flying as she sank impossible shots. She’s also a vibe with 2.3 million Instagram followers, a Nike shoe deal, and a Gatorade contract before she’s even pro. But the WNBA, for all its growth, has a salary cap that’s more like a speed bump. If Bueckers goes No. 1 to the Dallas Wings, as everyone expects, she’s looking at $78,831 in her first year, per the WNBA’s collective bargaining agreement. Over four years, that’s $348,198 total. Compare that to Unrivaled’s annual salary, averaging $220,000 per player.

To be honest, it is not that shocking. The stage was set way back in August 2024, when Bueckers made headlines by signing an NIL deal with Unrivaled, securing equity in the upstart league. While she didn’t compete with them during her final season at UConn, where she led the Huskies to a national title, the deal signaled big things ahead.

During her final season at UConn, Bueckers was in peak form, averaging 19.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.6 assists, with a scorching 53.4% shooting from the field and 41.9% from three. Her potential to become a franchise-altering player is now undeniable, with the Wings waiting with open arms, ready to welcome her. They have even started making changes to their team to help her adjust just as smoothly as Caitlin did! 

Paige Bueckers and the Pay Era: The WNBA’s Financial Revolution Is Here

The league is entering a new era, buoyed by a landmark $2.2 billion media rights deal and the looming expiration of its current collective bargaining agreement (CBA) in October 2024. Under the existing agreement, the salary cap sits at $1,507,100 per team, with a minimum team salary of $1,261,440. Individual player salaries range from $66,079 for younger players to a supermax of $249,244 for veterans re-signing with their teams (Source: Herhoops stats).

But that structure is likely to change — and soon. The clock is ticking on the current CBA, and the fuse was lit last October when players officially opted out, triggering a high-stakes renegotiation with the league.

Starting in 2026, games will be broadcast across a dream team of platforms: ABC, ESPN, and ESPN2 via Disney, NBC and Peacock via NBCUniversal, and global streaming through Amazon Prime Video. This deal doesn’t just triple the league’s previous media revenue — it catapults the WNBA into a new financial stratosphere.  (Source: WNBA.com)

As Commissioner Cathy Engelbert put it, “Partnering with Disney, Amazon and NBCU marks a monumental chapter in WNBA history and clearly demonstrates the significant rise in value and the historic level of interest in women’s basketball. These agreements allow the league to continue to build a long-term and sustainable growth model… which will benefit WNBA players, teams and fans.”

So, it doesn’t make sense for salaries to remain a sore spot. For Bueckers, that means she could enter the league on a rookie scale contract now, but be positioned to capitalize on a far more lucrative financial landscape just a year or two down the road. Many free agents are already opting for short-term deals in anticipation of the new CBA, a strategy Bueckers’ camp may also consider.

Whether it’s the Wings or a growing number of brands in women’s sports, everyone is preparing for Bueckers to be at the forefront of this next chapter, not just as a generational talent on the court, but as the first of the generation who will be a part of this new CBA within hours.