Paige Bueckers was named the 2025 WNBA Rookie of the Year on Tuesday, which was something of an obvious choice. She’ll earn a cash bonus for her accomplishments to add to her yearly salary, but both numbers are a far cry from being any significant amount of money.
Paige Bueckers Earns $5,150 Bonus For Winning WNBA ROY
Upon being selected with the no.1 overall pick back in April, Bueckers was “rewarded” with her rookie contract. It was a three-year deal, with a team option for a fourth, and worth a total of $247,688. It gave her an average salary of $82,563 for the life of the deal, and she would play her rookie season for a paycheck total of $78,831.
Paige Bueckers in 2025:
⭐ 19.2 PPG
⭐ 5.4 APG
⭐ 3.9 RPG
⭐ 1.6 SPG
⭐ Rookie-record 44-point game on 81% FGYour 2025 WNBA @Kia Rookie of the Year 👑
#KiaROY | #WelcometotheW pic.twitter.com/oxBCJzwGUc— WNBA (@WNBA) September 16, 2025
She has received a couple of in-season bonuses to boost that total. By being named to the WNBA All-Star Team, Bueckers earned $2,575. For the Rookie of the Year award that she took home on Tuesday, a bonus of $5,150 is in line. Those figures add up to $7,725 and brings Buecker’s total earnings for her first season up to $86,556.
Her earnings are just another example of the lack of substantial payouts in the WNBA. The league’s salary issues have been a hot and controversial topic for some time, as players have to find other sources of income during the off-seasons.
Endorsements Will Likely Be Main Source Of Income
As she waits for a potential pay raise in the coming years, Bueckers will be earning more off the court than she will on it. She already had a high level of popularity dating back to her college days, but Rookie of the Year status typically leads to more endorsement opportunities, increased exposure, and a stronger platform for future contract negotiations.
For the Dallas Wings franchise, it’s an early payoff on their investment. The ROY award given to Bueckers is proof that the face of their future is already delivering results. For Bueckers, it’s a sign that the accolades she collected in college can translate to the pro level, and that her trajectory remains on a superstar path.
As a team, the Wings have plenty of work to do. They finished the 2025 WNBA season with a 10-34 record, tied for the worst mark in the league. Dallas lost 9 of their final ten games of the regular season, and wound up 13 games out of a playoff spot.
