• Loading stock data...
Thursday, October 30, 2025
Want a chance to win $250 and free FOS gear? Take our quick reader survey. Take the survey here

Paige Bueckers Says She Will Enter 2025 WNBA Draft

Bueckers has UConn in the Sweet 16, and is widely projected to be the top pick in next month’s draft.

Paige Bueckers
David Butler II-Imagn Images

Connecticut star Paige Bueckers said Friday she will enter the 2025 WNBA draft, according to ESPN’s Rebecca Lobo.

The move ends one round of speculation—that Bueckers would bypass the WNBA for a year while its collective bargaining agreement is set to expire after the 2025 Finals—and invites another. Now, the question is if Bueckers is willing to play for the Dallas Wings, who hold the No. 1 pick in the April 14 draft. 

Even if she enters the draft, she could demand a trade or hold out. Bueckers owns a stake in the fledging women’s winter league Unrivaled. Teams that draft WNBA players hold their rights for one year after they are selected; if the player doesn’t sign a contract after a year, they are eligible for the next draft.

Bueckers is one of the top players in women’s college basketball and arguably the biggest name left playing in the NCAA tournament after USC star Juju Watkins tore her ACL last week against Mississippi State. 

The 23-year-old also had another year of college eligibility remaining, but had said for months that this season at UConn would be her last.

The WNBA’s collective bargaining agreement expires in November, as the league and its players aim to negotiate a new one. Players will be pushing for far, far higher salaries as an 11-year, $2.2 billion media rights deal is set to kick in next year. Under the current CBA, the top four picks in next year’s draft would make $78,831 as rookies, on a four-year contract that gradually escalates to $100,510 by the fourth year. If the league and union are able to agree to a new CBA, the 2026 rookie class would likely be in line for contracts double or triple that size, if not more; labor negotiations could also include raises for players under contract. (Most WNBA veterans are set to become free agents after this season, putting the 2024 and ‘25 rookie classes in a unique position.)

Bueckers also has an NIL and equity deal with Unrivaled, making it likely she’ll play there next season. The average salary for the eight-week winter league was more than $200,000, not far from the WNBA’s $250,000 maximum salary for a 44-game season.

Entering the WNBA draft also doesn’t preclude her from demanding a trade, or even holding out entirely while the Wings hold her rights, which would lapse after a year if the two sides did not agree to a contract.

The Wings went 9–31 in 2024 and won the draft lottery in November. The 2025 roster will be almost completely remade as heavy free agent departures left just four players from the 2024 roster. The Wings do have All-Star guard Arike Ogunbowale. Though Ogunbowale, like nearly every WNBA veteran, is set to be a free agent after 2025, she welcomed Friday’s move. “I thought the plan was to travel the world & make tik toks?!,” she tweeted, mocking speculation that Bueckers would rather hold out or play abroad than be a Wing.

The Wings are valued at over $200 million after a pair of investors bought a 1% stake for $2.08 million in August 2024. 

Bueckers is taking a different approach than her teammate Azzi Fudd, another pro prospect, who decided to stay an additional year in Storrs after losing a year to a torn ACL, just like Bueckers. Fudd will benefit from both the revenue sharing allowed by the upcoming House v. NCAA settlement in 2025 and, possibly, a lucrative new WNBA CBA in 2026.

This breaking news story has been updated.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Fanduel

How The Legal Sports Betting Giants Fit In NBA Betting Scandal

Four sports betting companies were listed in the indictment.
Terry Rozier

NBA Union Says It Will Fight Decision to Withhold Rozier’s Pay

Rozier has one year and $26.3 million left on his contract.

Mavericks Accuse Stars of Holding Dallas Arena ‘Hostage’ in Lawsuit

The NBA team seized control of a joint company operating the American Airlines Center.

Featured Today

September 21, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; NFL commissioner Roger Goodell before the game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Arizona Cardinals at Levi's Stadium

NFL Fall Meeting: 7 Big Topics Among Team Owners 

Media, facilities, and labor highlight some of the key areas of concern.
Ohio State Buckeyes running back Isaiah West (32) runs the ball in the second half at Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025 in Madison, Wisconsin
October 25, 2025

NIL Has Birthed a Third-Party Cottage Industry—and It’s a Mess

There’s no limit to how much players can make from NIL deals.
Christie's
October 21, 2025

Lou Gehrig’s $4M Jersey and the Exploding Sports Memorabilia Market

An ultra-rare sports collection is about to hit the auction block.
@chef__tezz/Instagram
October 19, 2025

Inside the NFL’s Private Chef Network

Private chefs are the unsung architects of player performance.
Sankey

SEC’s Sankey Blasts NCAA Plan to Allow Pro Sports Betting

NCAA athletes can bet on professional sports starting Nov. 1.
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry speaks to an audience at Louisiana Tech University on Aug. 25, 2025.
October 28, 2025

Why Louisiana’s Governor Was Involved in the Brian Kelly Firing

Jeff Landry reportedly hosted a meeting at the governor’s mansion Sunday.
October 28, 2025

SEC Coaches Kiffin, Smart Question LSU’s Firing of Kelly: ‘Ridiculous’ 

Three SEC teams have fired their football coaches midseason.
Sponsored

Why Alexis Ohanian Is Betting Big on Women’s Sports

Alexis Ohanian reflects on his evolution from Reddit cofounder to one of today’s most dynamic sports investors.
Brian Kelly
October 28, 2025

CFB Firings Tracker: LSU Owes Brian Kelly $53 Million

The sum owed Kelly slightly tops James Franklin’s at Penn State. 
Tigers Head Coach Brian Kelly, LSU Tigers take on the Texas A&M Aggies. October 25, 2025; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; at Tiger Stadium. Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025.
October 27, 2025

College Football Coach Buyouts Are Not What They Seem

LSU will likely not have to pay Kelly the $53 million he has left on his contract.
October 26, 2025

LSU Ends Brian Kelly Era, $53M Buyout Negotiations Underway

The Tigers fell to 5–3 after losing to Texas A&M.
October 26, 2025

Revenue-Sharing Era’s New Powers: Indiana, Georgia Tech, and Vandy

Indiana is the most notable, having ascended to No. 2.