An Uncertain Number?

Bueckers won both Player of the Year accolades last season. The Big East named her the 2021-22 Preseason Player of the Year. She’ll eventually be the No. 1 WNBA draft pick.

While the face of women’s college basketball may not be rushing into NIL, she also rightfully ranks near the top of multiple NIL valuation lists. 

Even if the exact value is unclear, she’s going to profit big time. It’s just a question of when.

• Opendorse predicted Bueckers could be worth close to $400,000, while Student Athlete NIL put that number higher at $700,000, according to The Union Democrat.
• Another study recently found that she could make up to $1 million a year. 
• Bueckers isn’t so sure about that last figure, however. “That’s easy for everybody else to say, how I could make this much money,” Bueckers said. “But they’re not the actual people doing it.” 

Though he didn’t give a number, UConn coach Geno Auriemma thinks that Bueckers will cash in. “If Paige plays it right, there will only be two, three, or four [companies]. But they won’t be getting free haircuts. They’ll be really big.”

Either way, Bueckers isn’t concerned. “She doesn’t spend a lot of time worrying about [NIL],” Auriemma said. “She’s not sitting there saying, where’s my next deal coming from, or what do I have to do to attract more potential suitors.”

Here’s what we know: She has another full season where she’ll likely become a more dominant player — and increase her earning potential even more.