Paige Bueckers is ready to start not just her WNBA career with the Dallas Wings but her career as a businesswoman as well.
The longtime UConn star, who was picked first overall by the Wings on Monday night, confirmed during an appearance on “Good Morning America” on Wednesday that she is an investor in Unrivaled, which just completed its inaugural season.
Bueckers' deal with the 3-on-3 league is expected to be far more lucrative than her four-year WNBA rookie contract. The average Unrivaled salary was more than $220,000. Her four-year WNBA deal’s base salary would be just under $350,000.
“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.”
Bueckers, who led UConn to the NCAA title on April 6, 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.
After making the talk-show rounds, which included a stop by “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon,” Bueckers will be headed to Texas to do appearances and prepare for training camp, which begins April 27. The Wings open the season 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.”
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AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball
