Dallas Wings rookie Paige Bueckers got support from a WNBA colleague with regard to the topic of pay gap versus her NBA rookie counterpart, who is expected to be Duke star Cooper Flagg.
In a story she shared on Instagram, Phoenix Mercury small forward Satou Sabally pointed out the huge pay gap between Paige Bueckers, who was drafted by the Dallas Wings, and Cooper Flagg, who has declared for the NBA draft is is widely expected to be the first overall pick as well.
The pay gap between NBA and WNBA players remains one of the most debated issues in professional basketball. While the WNBA has seen significant growth in viewership and revenue, its players still earn substantially less than their NBA counterparts.
Paige Bueckers, the No. 1 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, and Cooper Flagg, the projected No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, highlights this disparity—Flagg is expected to earn $15.6 million in his rookie season, while Bueckers will make just $87,000 under her rookie contract with the Dallas Wings.
This gap is largely due to differences in league revenue, sponsorship deals, and media coverage, with the NBA generating billions annually, while the WNBA operates on a much smaller financial scale.
Despite the WNBA’s rising popularity, its salary structure remains restrictive. The league operates under a fixed rookie wage scale, meaning top draft picks like Bueckers have little room for negotiation.
In contrast, NBA rookies sign multi-million-dollar contracts, benefiting from the league’s lucrative TV deals and sponsorships. The WNBA’s collective bargaining agreement (CBA), signed in 2020, has improved salaries and benefits, but players still struggle to earn wages comparable to their NBA peers.
Paige Bueckers Gets Reality Check on Practice With Dallas Wings Teammates
As she stars practice and training camp with her terammates at the Dallas Wings, rookie Paige Bueckers gets a dose of reality check on the difference of college basketball and a game with the pros.
“Honestly, screens I got hit by,” Bueckers said about the biggest difference she felt. That would be like the first, like, ‘Wow, yeah, this is different.’”
“And obviously, the floor is a little shrinked, you’ve got defensive three seconds in the lane, offensive three seconds in the lane. So that’s a little bit different. And then the pace, and obviously the physicality of stuff they let go in the W.”
I asked Paige Bueckers about the biggest difference between college and pros so far…
“Those screens I got hit with today.” 😯 #WNBA #WNBATwitter @DallasWings pic.twitter.com/AYQD2YgBMe
— Dorothy J. Gentry (@DorothyJGentry) April 27, 2025
Paige Bueckers spent her entire college career with the UConn Huskies and brought them to a championship win in her final season.
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Dan has been active in sports since 2016 and has worked behind the scenes as a scriptwriter for basketball, volleyball, and other sports. At a time, Dan has also been working as a sports commentator for CBA Pilipinas. During the pandemic, he has also been actively writing betting articles for CashBet and BetNow.
