A New Era Ain’t Coming… It’s Here.
The women’s basketball game has officially leveled up, and Paige Bueckers is at the center of it. From college stardom to a historic NCAA title run, she just made headlines again by signing a major deal with the new UNRIVALED league, Prime breaks down the shift in the women’s game, the power of NIL, and why the WNBA needs to start cutting real checks before they they start losing stars.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALLWNBAPAIGE BUECHERSUCONNNCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Prime
4/14/20251 min read
Women’s basketball isn't just trending, it’s boomin’. The energy’s different now. The brand is lit, the spotlight’s hotter than ever, and the rivalries? Oh, they got the streets talkin’. Angel and CC done turned the women’s game into a show you gotta watch. This ain't just basketball anymore, it’s prime time entertainment.
But before all that smoke, there was a killer named Paige Bueckers. Four years ago, she walked into Storrs like she owned the joint and left with National Player of the Year as a freshman. Then boom, injuries hit, momentum slowed, and the world almost forgot how cold she really was.
Fast forward to now? CHAMPION. Not just a title, Paige just ran through the NCAA tourney like a cheat code and closed it out by destroying South Carolina. Yeah, that South Carolina. The one coached by Dawn Staley.
Now she’s up next, projected #1 pick in the WNBA Draft. But here’s where the game changes...
This new wave of women’s leagues—Athletes Unlimited, UNRIVALED—they're not just showing up, they're showing out. For the first time, money in women’s hoops is a real conversation. NIL deals got college stars living better than rookies in the W, and Paige just proved the market’s wide open.
She just signed a 3-year bag with UNRIVALED that’s bigger in year one (350k) than the WNBA paying her in three. Three! That’s a loud message.
So I gotta ask… why the WNBA still playing small with salaries? Why the league that’s supposed to be the pinnacle, still the one paying the least?
The game’s evolving. The business gotta keep up. Otherwise, stars like Paige gon’ keep finding new playgrounds. Remember Diana Taurasi sat out a year for a Mil!
