After Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers Is Set to Enjoy a Unique Privilege That Eluded Even 4x WNBA Champion

With Caitlin Clark’s rookie era concluding with multiple records registered in WNBA history books, Paige 2025 draft projected No.1 pick Bueckers’ entry into W next year is the most anticipated. The comparisions are already brewing between the two young stars. While these stoke the flames of a potential rivalry, there’s one unique connection which has favored both these players—one that even a four-time WNBA champion couldn’t get due to her college career timeline.

In the latest episode of The Deal from Bloomberg Originals, Seattle Storm legend Sue Bird sat down for an engaging discussion about the skyrocketing popularity of women’s basketball. With reigning ROTY Caitlin Clark now dominating the pro stage and more names to follow, Bird first gave a “semi-hot” take: “the women’s basketball is gonna be the biggest story at the LA 2028 Olympics.”

In making her case, she went on to highlight a major advantage that today’s college athletes, including Clark and Bueckers, have in building and maintaining massive fanbases—something that wasn’t available during her own college days.

“In the next four years, the way you’ve seen it this year, it’s gonna continue to grow. The Paige Buecker’s, the Juju’s, yeah. Flau’jae Johnson’s — all of this young talent that builds huge brands and huge fan bases in college. By the way, that’s another part of this whole story. That was always a major disconnect. I went to UConn, I had huge following. (Coming to) WNBA gone, it was like it didn’t come with transfer. And that’s for years. Yeah. But now it’s starting to, I think NIL plays a role in that,” Bird said on The Deal.

It’s hard to ignore the impact that the 2021 lift of the Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) ban has had on young athletes. The opportunities to leverage their on-court talents to grow their personal brands, through collaborations and endorsements, is as beneficial as it gets — the media visibility, solid fan bases, and a seamless carry of influence into the pros.

Caitlin Clark is a prime example of how the NIL era, combined with her exceptional talent, has allowed her to build an enormous fanbase. This following played a key role in her rookie year, helping the WNBA achieve record-breaking viewership numbers. With a net worth estimated at $3.8 million, Clark’s influence is undeniable. Now Paige Bueckers, wrapping up her final season as a redshirt senior at UConn, is poised to make a similar impact when she enters the WNBA next year. Currently, her net worth is estimated at $1.5 million.

As Bird pointed out, the ability for players to profit from their NIL wasn’t something players before 2021, including those from her era in the early 2000s, had access to. Well, Candace Parker, another retired veteran, also recently expressed her views on this change taking the same seat at the Bloomberg Originals’ show, The Deal.

Candace Parker talks NIL and its generational impact

Early this month, former Los Angeles Sparks star Candace Parker joined Bloomberg Originals to discuss her post-retirement impact on the game and her views on the current sports landscape, including the NCAA’s NIL rules. Rather than expressing regret, Parker celebrated the success of rising NFL star Caleb Williams, who has excelled both on the field and as an entrepreneur.

“I think that this is an exciting landscape because really athletes are brands. And to be able to see individuals like Caleb Williams that are actually capitalizing on opening up private equity firms and, you know, fresh out of college, investing in, acquiring equity in something at a young age. I think that that’s where you really see generational, not just wealth but change,” stated Parker via Bloomberg Originals.

Candace Parker couldn’t help but admire Caleb Williams’ off-field business acumen, especially as their conversation shifted to the topic of NIL’s transformative impact, grateful that the athletes were finally getting the recognition they deserved.

“And so for so long, I think we’ve idolized, you know, rock stars, movie stars, all that now it’s, it’s athletes. It’s athletes with some of the biggest following on Instagram. And so, I think it has a lot to do with why the NCAA knew that they had to allow NIL inside,” the retired WNBA legend had mentioned. While the debate over lifting the NIL ban might continue to go on, one thing is clear: it is going to bring eyes to the players and the sport.