This is how much Paige Bueckers will make as a rookie in the WNBA
UConn Huskies star Paige Bueckers was selected first overall by the Dallas Wings in the 2025 WNBA Draft. Here’s how much the guard will earn in Dallas.
To no one’s surprise, Paige Bueckers was selected No. 1 overall in the 2025 WNBA Draft. The Dallas Wings welcome the UConn point guard after she led the Huskies to the NCAA national title (over South Carolina) in her fourth season on the team and four Final Four appearances.
Bueckers is considered a generational talent - she became the first freshman to win several of the major player of the year awards in 2021 and is a three-time unanimous first-team All-American. And her talents will earn her a decent wage in Dallas, albeit not as good as it could be.
Paige Bueckers’ contract with the Dallas Wings
Each of the first four players to be selected in the WNBA Draft will be given contracts with the same format and the same payment scale. Bueckers, as the first overall pick, will earn a little less than $350,000 over the course of her four-year contract with Dallas.
Bueckers’ contract includes a base salary of around $79,000 for her rookie season. Here’s the year-by-year breakdown of her contract through the 2028 season.
- 2025: $78,831
- 2026: $80,408
- 2027: $88,449
- 2028 (fourth-year option): $100,510
- Total value: $348,198
Bueckers was one of the top earners in NIL deals in college, with major brands like Nike and Gatorade and still has the opportunity to earn money through endorsements in the WNBA. She is unfortunately entering the WNBA at a tough time financially.
Although she is the No. 1 overall selection, Bueckers’ rookie salary is likely less money than what future players in her position will earn, as WNBA salaries are expected to increase significantly after the current Collective Bargaining Agreement expires next season. That’s thanks to the league’s growing popularity and a new $200 million-per-year media deal.
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