Sun Apr 06 20:30:00 UTC 2025: ## UConn Star Paige Bueckers Set to Dominate WNBA Draft, Boasting Multi-Million Dollar NIL Empire
**STORRS, CT** – University of Connecticut basketball star Paige Bueckers is poised to be the number one pick in the upcoming WNBA draft, capping off a stellar college career marked by groundbreaking Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals. While her rookie WNBA salary is projected at $76,000, Bueckers’s true financial success lies in her lucrative NIL partnerships, estimated by On3 to be worth $1.4 million for the 2024-25 season alone. These deals, many of which will extend into her professional career, include major brands like Nike, Gatorade, and Bose, solidifying her position as a pioneer in the burgeoning NIL landscape for women’s college athletics.
Bueckers has achieved several historic firsts, including becoming the first college athlete to sign a multi-year deal with Gatorade and the first to have her own Nike player edition shoe. Further demonstrating her business acumen, she secured an ownership stake in the Unrivaled Basketball League, a new 3v3 women’s league. “It’s been a dream,” Bueckers stated at her final UConn home game. “You just take every single chance you have and never take it for granted.” As she prepares for the next chapter in her basketball journey, Bueckers’s influence extends far beyond the court, showcasing the immense potential of NIL deals for women athletes.
First Piper 