New York, NY—-On the eve of the 2025 WNBA Draft, UConn superstar Paige Bueckers made headlines by signing a lucrative three-year contract with the 3-on-3 league Unrivaled. The move not only highlights her market power but also ensures she’ll earn more in her first year with Unrivaled than she would in four seasons under a standard WNBA rookie contract.
The 6-foot guard wraps up a legendary college career at UConn, having led the Huskies to the 2025 National Championship and cementing her status as one of the all-time greats in women’s college basketball. In her senior season, Bueckers averaged 19.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 2.1 steals per game, shooting an impressive 53.4% from the field and 41.9% from beyond the arc.
Her decision to join Unrivaled gives her a competitive platform during the WNBA offseason — while also rewarding her with a significant financial opportunity. The league, founded in 2023 by WNBA stars Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart, aims to redefine how and where elite women’s basketball players can showcase their talents. Its inaugural season wrapped up in March, with Team Rose taking the title over Team Vinyl.
Heading into its second season, Unrivaled has prioritized talent acquisition over expansion, and Bueckers is their biggest signing yet. With her expected to go No. 1 overall to the Dallas Wings, the partnership also signals a new era of player empowerment and offseason visibility.
Bueckers’ resume is nothing short of historic. She was named National Player of the Year in 2025, winning the Wade Trophy, and became the first freshman ever to sweep the Wooden Award, Naismith Trophy, AP Player of the Year, and USBWA Player of the Year back in 2021. Over her collegiate career, she was a three-time AP First Team All-American and Big East Player of the Year (2021, 2024, 2025) and twice received the Nancy Lieberman Award as the nation’s top point guard. She led UConn to the Final Four in each of her four seasons and reached the national championship game twice and winning it in this past season.
Bueckers concludes her time at UConn with career averages of 19.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game — and now steps into a professional future that’s already breaking new grounds.
After playing a key role in leading UConn to its record-setting 12th NCAA Championship during her graduate transfer season, point guard Kaitlyn Chen was selected 30th overall by the Golden State Valkyries in the WNBA Draft on Monday night.
Though she wasn’t among the official invitees, Chen was in the audience at the event to support her teammate and top overall pick Paige Bueckers (Dallas Wings). To her surprise, she was called from the crowd when her name was announced. Chen becomes the 49th player in UConn history to be drafted into the WNBA and will join fellow Husky alum Tiffany Hayes on the Valkyries’ roster. Later that night, forward Aubrey Griffin made it an even 50 UConn draft selections, going to the Minnesota Lynx with the 37th overall pick in the third round.
