This year’s NCAA campaign will end with multiple players looking to get on the high horse. And so, the WNBA draft picks become all the more fascinating. In the same light, Paige Bueckers of the UConn Huskies was in the third position and up for grabs for the Phoenix Mercury of the WNBA. The 2021 AP Player of the Year, however, does not want to continue on the professional path this year.
Bueckers announced that she would not declare for this year’s draft on her Senior night. Was this decision based on her draft ranking or NIL value?
Paige Bueckers postpones her foray into the WNBA
This means that UConn fans will see her again in the Harry A. Gampel Pavilion next year, as she returns to the Huskies roster. Additionally, ESPN and College GameDay also posted about the development on their respective official Instagram pages.
She, along with other athletes in her batch, was given an extension year due to COVID-19. Notably, Paige has missed long periods of her college career due to knee and ACL injuries. Many, nevertheless, have faith that she can get into a better position next year and get the team she wishes to be with.
This decision might also be because staying at UConn for another year can further improve her NIL value. Here is how much she can earn with the Huskies.
Before entering UConn, Bueckers had already collected accolades ranging from gold medals in international FIBA tournaments to the Youth Olympic Games. And so, her present NIL value which stands at 652K makes perfect sense. Notably, the highest earner in the WNBA only collects $242,154. Further, as in 2024, she holds a net worth of $1.5 million due to her skills as a collegiate basketball athlete.
Additionally, two years back Bueckers mentioned that she would want to stay in college as long as she could.
Certainly, Paige Bueckers can improve her NIL ranking from fifth by staying at UConn for another year. She also has offers from many brands that can pay her more than the base salary of a WNBA player. Nevertheless, fans of the Huskies will unarguably like to have her on their roster for another year.
