Paige Bueckers is expected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft after leading UConn to the National Championship, and her rookie salary will reflect that.
CLEVELAND, OHIO – APRIL 05: Caitlin Clark will be joined by Paige Bueckers in the WNBA (Image: Getty Images).
Fresh from her victory in the 2025 NCAA National Championship, UConn sensation Paige Bueckers is set to earn more than one of the WNBA’s biggest stars at the next level.
After crafting a fairytale ending to her time with the Huskies, Bueckers is almost certain to be picked by the Dallas Wings as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft. As long as the star guard is selected within the top four picks – something that’s virtually guaranteed to happen – she will receive a rookie salary of $78,831.
This base salary – determined by the WNBA’s active Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) – is notably $765 more than what Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark will earn during her second season in the league. The 23-year-old only made $76,535 in her rookie campaign, with her earnings rising to $78,066 in 2025, $85,873 in 2026 and finally $97,582 in 2027 if Indiana picks up her option.
On the other hand, Bueckers will likely have a salary of $80,408 in 2026, $88,449 in 2027 and a $100,510 team option in 2028 should she be taken first overall. Her total salary earnings will therefore amount to $348,198 – $10,142 more than Clark’s four-year, $338,056 contract.
The current WNBA salaries for Clark and Bueckers, however, might soon appear modest in comparison to those of their peers. In October, the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) voted to opt out of the current collective bargaining agreement (CBA), as players seek a business model that genuinely reflects their worth.
They are pushing for increased salaries, improved professional working conditions, expanded health benefits, and investments in long-term growth. Following the 2026 season, once the active CBA is formally terminated, player salaries are expected to surge. Unfortunately, for Clark and Bueckers, their existing contracts will not be modified unless there are any retroactive adjustments.
Paige Bueckers is set to be the next big star of WNBA (Image: Getty Images)
Erin Kane, an agent with Excel Sports Management who represents Clark and other prominent WNBA players, alluded to this disparity. In a February conversation with ESPN’s Michele Steele, Kane stated that her client’s WNBA salary would likely never accurately reflect the impact she has on the league.
“Will Caitlin Clark ever be paid by the WNBA what she’s really worth to that league? I don’t think that’s possible,” Kane conceded. “She’s part of a larger player body. They all need to be paid more. She should be recognized for what she has done and what she’s brought to the league from an economic standpoint. It’s as simple as that.”
In her first year in the WNBA, Clark set records, earning All-Star and Rookie of the Year accolades while contributing to the league’s most-watched regular season in 24 years and its highest attendance in over two decades.
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