Dallas Wings’ Paige Bueckers Headlines Initial Player Pool Announcement for Unrivaled’s 2026 Season

Grant AfsethSeptember 22, 2025September 22, 2025no comment

Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images

Paige Bueckers will add another milestone to her breakthrough year. The 2025 WNBA Rookie of the Year has been officially announced as one of the first signees for Unrivaled’s 2026 season, giving the 3×3 league a marquee name as it enters its second year.

Unrivaled confirmed Monday that Bueckers will be part of its expanded 48-player pool next season, alongside Alyssa Thomas, Satou Sabally, Rickea Jackson, and Saniya Rivers. The league, co-founded by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart, is adding two new clubs—Breeze Basketball Club and Hive Basketball Club—while introducing a development player pool to bolster rosters.

3×3 Pedigree and Fit

Bueckers signed a three-year deal with Unrivaled in April and is also an investor, but her connection to 3-on-3 basketball predates her WNBA career. She helped Team USA win gold at the 2018 Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires, captured multiple national 3-on-3 titles that year, and was named USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year in 2019 after competing in the World Beach Games.

She explained that the format demands individual creativity and defensive discipline in ways that mirror and sharpen her WNBA skill set.

“It’s really challenging because it’s basically one-on-one in space,” Bueckers told DallasHoopsJournal.com. “It challenges your defense and your ability to sit down and guard, keep people in front of you.”

Bueckers added that the condensed format forces players to generate offense without much help, making decision-making critical.

“Offensively, it just helps you be able to create in isolation, create space,” she said to DallasHoopsJournal.com. “And it’s a lot of technique too.”

She also drew a connection between 3-on-3 action and the traditional 5-on-5 format, noting how the smaller court and constant pace mimic modern spacing and transition play.

“I mean, there’s a lot of three-man action in a five-on-five basketball game. You see a lot in triangle set offense,” Bueckers explained to DallasHoopsJournal.com. “So it’s a lot of scheming, and it’s just fun—the pace. Obviously, the court is smaller, so everything is in transition, essentially. I’m really looking forward to that too.”

Development and Balance

The Dallas Wings leaned heavily on Bueckers during her rookie season, where she averaged 19.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 1.6 steals, highlighted by a 44-point outing against the Los Angeles Sparks. Her production resulted in not only an All-Star starter nod but also the Rookie of the Year trophy.

For Wings head coach Chris Koclanes, Unrivaled provides valuable offseason reps while also raising questions about recovery.

“It’s tough, right? You want everyone—especially with how beat up we are right now—to go rest, recover, pour into their body, and come back for training camp as best they can,” Koclanes told DallasHoopsJournal.com.

At the same time, he acknowledged the skill transfer from 3-on-3 to the professional game.

“But there are benefits to three-on-three,” he said to DallasHoopsJournal.com.. “There are actions that happen in our league now with less help-side, so you’re getting more reps and more game reps in pro actions.”

Koclanes emphasized that while the developmental benefits are clear, the team’s priority will remain protecting players’ long-term health.

“There are definitely positives that can come out of playing in that game,” he detailed to DallasHoopsJournal.com. “But again, I won’t speak to everything—there’s lots going on this offseason that’s way above me. Ultimately, it’s all about player health and safety, so we can get them back here and put a good product on the floor for our fans.”

Unrivaled will begin its second season in January, aiming to build on a debut year that generated more than $25 million in revenue and a $340 million valuation. With Bueckers now officially on board, the league gains not only one of the WNBA’s brightest young stars but also an athlete with deep ties to the 3-on-3 game.

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Grant Afseth

Senior Writer

Grant Afseth is a Senior Writer for DallasHoopsJournal.com, where he leads in-depth coverage of the Mavericks, Wings, and more. Between a focus on the latest news, closer looks at games, front office strategy, and more, Afseth provides objective coverage. Afseth contributes broader NBA coverage across platforms and has been cited in national outlets for his reporting and analysis. With nearly a decade of journalism experience, Afseth has covered the NBA and WNBA for multiple major outlets, including Athlon Sports, BallIsLife, Sportskeeda, and RG.org. He previously reported on the Indiana Pacers for CNHI’s Kokomo Tribune and the Mavericks for FanNation.

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