No. 5 Paige Bueckers of the University of Connecticut Huskies shoots during the second half against the Iowa Hawkeyes during the Final Four semifinals of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament at Rocket Mortgage Arena on April 5, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio. .
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University of Connecticut star Paige Bueckers will sign a name, image and likeness agreement with new women’s basketball league Unrivaled, people familiar with the matter told CNBC.
The deal is believed to make her the first NCAA athlete to gain ownership in a professional sports league as looser endorsement rules allow college players to pursue more endorsements and business opportunities. Terms of the deal have not been announced.
Unrivaled was founded last year by WNBA players Breanna Stewart of the New York Liberty and Napheesa Collier of the Minnesota Lynx. The league kicks off in January ahead of the WNBA season.
People familiar with the matter said Bueckers, a two-time NCAA All-American, may make an appearance in the promotional league but will not play until he completes his college career at the University of Connecticut. In February, Bueckers announced she would forgo the 2024 WNBA draft and return to the University of Connecticut for her senior season.
The original intention of Unrivaled was to give WNBA basketball players the option to play in the United States during the offseason. Previously, many WNBA players had to travel overseas to supplement their salaries.
The player-owned league provides equity to all 30 players, with no one earning less than six figures. The current maximum salary in the WNBA is approximately $250,000 per season.
The league will consist of six teams and will be played in a 3-on-3 format. Players announced to join the league so far include Stewart, Collier, Chelsea Gray and Kelsey Plumb of the Las Vegas Aces, as well as Arik Ogunbowale of the Dallas Wings. Angel Reese of the Chicago Sky is the first player from this year’s WNBA rookie class to join the league.
The league’s star-studded investors include Bueckers’ UConn head coach Geno Auriemma; former NBA players Carmelo Anthony and Steve Nash; former and current football stars Alex Morgan and Megan Thee Stallion; Rapinoe; media executives John Skipper and David Levy; and actor Ashton Kutcher.
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