Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers will play for Unrivaled beginning in January

WNBA Rookie of the Year Paige Bueckers, runner-up Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen are among first-year players who will jump to Unrivaled, the 3-on-3 women's professional league, in January.

Bueckers signed a three-year deal with Unrivaled back in April. She also has invested in the league.

"I mean, investments in women's sports -- I feel like the return on investment has been amazing," Bueckers said in April. "Even the first year [of Unrivaled], the numbers were shocking. They just blew it out of the water. And just to invest so much in women's sports, it's growing at an all-time high, and it's just a great time to be in women's sports."

Bueckers, who led the UConn Huskies to their 12th national title in April, was selected No. 1 overall by the Dallas Wings. She averaged 19.2 points, 5.4 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.6 steals across 36 games this season. Bueckers set the single-game rookie scoring record with 44 points on 80.9% shooting.

Citron, who was selected No. 3 overall out of Notre Dame in the 2025 WNBA draft, averaged 14.9 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.3 steals in her rookie season for the Washington Mystics. Teammate Iriafen, who was picked fourth in the WNBA draft out of USC, averaged 13.3 points and 8.5 rebounds for the Mystics.

Unrivaled, a women's professional 3x3 league led by Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, will begin its second season in January 2026 in Miami. The league is making player announcements six at a time from Monday, Sept. 22 through Wednesday, Oct. 1.

Will Caitlin Clark play in Unrivaled?

Indiana Fever guard Clark turned down an offer to join Unrivaled's inaugural season after a year that included her final season at Iowa and WNBA rookie season. But the winter league could provide an opportunity for Clark to get some reps in after missing much of the 2025 WNBA season, if her health allows.

Clark hasn't been signed to Unrivaled, although league president Alex Bazzell told ESPN they "have a spot" for Clark. "There is always an ongoing dialogue ... There is no secret who the top players in the world are, and they know we have a spot for them. But we are not knocking down doors or chasing people down. I feel good about where our rosters stand."

Unrivaled team rosters will be released until November, with players participation announcements through Oct. 1.

Unrivaled player announcements for 2025

  • Aliyah Boston, F, Indiana Fever
  • Paige Bueckers, G, Dallas Wings
  • Veronica Burton, G, Golden State Valkyries
  • Sonia Citron, G, Washington Mystics
  • Natasha Cloud, G, New York Liberty
  • Dearica Hamby, F, Los Angeles Sparks
  • Lexie Hull, G, Indiana Fever
  • Kiki Iriafen, F, Washington Mystics
  • Rickea Jackson, F, Los Angeles Sparks
  • Kate Martin, G, Golden State Valkyries
  • Saniya Rivers, G, Connecticut Sun
  • Satou Sabally, F, Phoenix Mercury
  • Azurá Stevens, F, Los Angeles Sparks
  • Breanna Stewart, F, New York Liberty
  • Alyssa Thomas, G, Phoenix Mercury
  • Erica Wheeler, G, Seattle Storm
  • Jackie Young, G, Las Vegas Aces

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Paige Bueckers, Sonia Citron among rookies joining Unrivaled for 2026 season

Reporting by Heather Burns, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect