In this episode of NILOSOPHY, Deja Kelly sits down with Paige Bueckers, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft, for an unfiltered interview. From dominating at UConn to navigating injuries, NIL (name, image, and likeness) deals, and building a brand off the court—Paige shares it all.

Paige talks about why she declined an additional year of eligibility at UConn, how she built a multimillion-dollar NIL brand from scratch, and the real business behind NIL deals, social media, and agents. She also discusses what it’s like to get drafted and play for the Dallas Wings; behind-the-scenes stories from working with companies like Nike, Gatorade, and Verizon; and why she’s fighting for change in the WNBA’s next CBA.

Paige also reflects on the power of relationships, her coach Geno Auriemma’s evolution in the NIL era, and the real mental toll of being a public figure at the top of the game.

When he first stepped foot on campus at Texas, Arch Manning was primed for NIL success. The son of Cooper Manning, grandson of Archie and nephew of Peyton and Eli, he was already a top name in the sport as the nation’s No. 1 recruit.

But as he sat behind Quinn Ewers for two years, Manning – who has a $6.8 million On3 NIL Valuation – didn’t venture too far into the NIL space. His only major NIL deal was with Panini America.

But that all changed this offseason, and the former Five Star Plus+ prospect said he’s hoping to finish everything by the time the 2025 campaign starts. Once the season starts, his focus will be on football as he gears up for Year 1 as Texas’ starter.

“I’m trying to get all that stuff out of the way before the season,” Manning said at the Manning Passing Academy in Thibodaux, La. “Obviously, you want to take advantage of what you can and make the right decisions on partnering with companies, but I’m focused on ball.”

Manning’s portfolio now includes deals with Red Bull, Uber and Vuori, as well as an extended merchandise partnership with Panini. He also appeared in the EA Sports College Football 25 video game and has appeared in commercials promoting this year’s installment. On3’s Pete Nakos revealed a new commercial is in the works, as well.

At $6.8 million, Manning has the top On3 NIL Valuation in the college football NIL rankings. He also ranks No. 1 in the On3 NIL 100, the first of its kind and defacto NIL ranking of the top 100 high school and college athletes ranked by their On3 NIL Valuation.

Arch Manning going ‘with his gut’ in NIL space

The plan was for Manning to wait to sign more NIL deals until he became a full-time starter. But he doesn’t necessarily seek the spotlight. Steve Sarkisian recently confirmed both he and Manning declined to appear on the cover of EA Sports College Football 26.

As he navigates the space, Manning leaned on his uncles, who rose to stardom both on and off the field during their respective careers. He also doesn’t want to spread himself too thin in the NIL world while he continues to develop under Sarkisian’s watchful eye. But he’s been watching what others do.

“I think I kind of go with my gut and see what other people have done, who’s done it the right or wrong way,” Manning said. “I’ve got a lot of support with my family and go with my gut at the end of the day and try not to do too much.”

In October 2024, just before his freshman season at Duke, Cooper Flagg signed an NIL deal with Gatorade. That partnership will continue after the Dallas Mavericks selected him in the 2025 NBA Draft, and the company released a tribute after Flagg went No. 1 overall.

Gatorade sent out a tribute video, which sees someone ask Flagg how they should celebrate his selection as the top pick in the draft. He responded by saying they shouldn’t, and he’ll “let you know when there’s something to celebrate.”

Additionally, Gatorade unveiled a custom squeeze bottle, co-designed by Flagg. The bottle features his favorite color, blue – which happens to be the same color he wore at Duke and will don with the Mavericks – and a family tree. His home state of Maine and the saying “WIN” also appear on the bottle.

“It’s pretty crazy to look back on the journey I’ve had with Gatorade – from drinking it as a kid to making history with them last year when I joined the roster,” Flagg said in a statement. “There are so many athletes I look up to who have been part of this legacy and I’m excited for what’s next together as I start this chapter in the NBA.”

When he signed his NIL deal last year, Flagg became the first college men’s basketball player to join forces with the brand. In the process, he became part of a roster that includes Caitlin Clark, Luka Doncic and Jayson Tatum, among many others.

It was part of an impressive portfolio of NIL deals the former top recruit built while at Duke. Repped by CAA, he also had notable partnerships with AT&T, Fanatics and New Balance.

Flagg became the National Player of the Year in 2024-25 as he helped Duke reach the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament. Along the way, he led the Blue Devils in every major statistical category – averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks per game.

As he shined on the court, Flagg also became the top name in college basketball. He left Duke with a $4.8 million On3 NIL Valuation ranks No. 1 in the men’s college basketball NIL rankings. He also sits at No. 2 in the On3 NIL 100 – the first of its kind and defacto NIL ranking of the top 100 high school and college athletes ranked by their On3 NIL Valuation – trailing only Texas quarterback Arch Manning.

Now, Cooper Flagg will take his talents to Dallas as the second No. 1 overall pick in Mavericks history. His rookie contract is set to be for four years and $62.7 million, according to Spotrac.

MANHATTAN, Kan. – K-State’s James Guyette earned an invitation to the 2025 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team Training Camp.
 
A native of Newbury Park, California, Guyette becomes just the fourth Wildcat in program history to earn an invitation to the national training camp. He joins former teammates Tyson Neighbors and Kaelen Culpepper, along with K-State Hall of Fame inductee Craig Wilson. Neighbors and Culpepper were each selected to the 2023 USA Collegiate National Team following the training camp, while Wilson made the national roster in both 1991 and 1992.
 
In 2025, Guyette led the team with 24 relief appearances, posting a 4-3 record with a 4.70 ERA and a team-best four saves. The right-hander limited opponents to a .226 batting average and recorded 51 strikeouts over 51 2/3 innings.
 
An All-Big 12 Honorable Mention selection, Guyette logged at least two innings in 11 outings, striking out three or more in eight of those appearances while holding opponents scoreless in five.
 
The USA Baseball Collegiate National Team Training Camp will feature 56 of the premier non-draft-eligible college players for a five-game Stars vs. Stripes intrasquad series in North Carolina from June 29-July 3. USA Baseball will name the final Collegiate National Team following Training Camp on July 3.
 
The first game will be held at Atrium Health Ballpark in Kannapolis at 5:35 p.m. ET, the next three games will be played at USA Baseball’s National Training Complex in Cary at 6:30 p.m. ET, and the series finale will be hosted at Segra Stadium in Fayetteville at 6:35 p.m. ET.
 
The Collegiate National Team will play in the 45­­th USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Championship Series in various locations across Japan on July 8-13. The remaining players from the Collegiate National Team Training Camp will play in a Fourth of July game against the Appalachian League Select Team at Atrium Health Ballpark in Kannapolis at 6:35 p.m. ET. 

K-State finished its 2025 campaign with a 32-26 record, that included a program record 17 conference wins. The Wildcats advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive year, making the program’s first back-to-back appearances since 2010–11.

For more information on USA Baseball and the training camp visit usabaseball.com.

 

The $2.8 billion settlement in the House v. NCAA case will compensate tens of thousands of Division I athletes who were previously barred from profiting off their name, image and likeness, or NIL.

Jake Wimberly, program director for ESPN Radio in Madison and Jackson, supports athletes getting paid but sees the NIL system as a disingenuous way for universities to avoid classifying players as employees. He cited LSU’s national championship winning baseball team as an example, which enjoys a roster that reportedly cost $10 million to put together. 

“Most of that money was not name, image and likeness,” Wimberly said. “That is pay-for-play, because there’s not enough burgers, shirts or swag out there to get you $10 million.”

The settlement also allows schools to directly pay athletes, with revenue-sharing caps starting around $20 million per year per institution. Athletic directors at Mississippi’s Division I schools have largely welcomed the settlement and the opportunities it offers to support student-athletes and sustain their school’s programs.

University of Mississippi Athletics Director Keith Carter highlighted new support services available under the agreement, including enhanced mental health care, nutrition support and extended medical coverage.

“While the past few years have seen Ole Miss reach historic heights, we look forward to embracing a new model in college athletics and finding some much-needed stability,” Carter said in a statement.

At Mississippi State, Athletics Director Zac Selmon called the settlement a “pivotal moment” and said it brings much-needed clarity for programs navigating athlete compensation.

“While there are still questions to answer and new territory ahead, this decision allows us to officially move forward with plans to share revenue with our student-athletes,” Selmon said in a statement. 

However, concerns remain about the future of non-revenue and women’s sports. A group of female athletes has filed a legal challenge to the settlement, arguing that the proposed distribution model unfairly favors men’s programs and violates Title IX protections.

They also warned that the financial constraints brought on by the need to offer top athletes  competitive pay rates, colleges will begin cutting non revenue sports programs and that shift will disproportionately affect female athletes. That same sentiment was shared by Gov. Tate Reeves during a press conference earlier this month. 

“There are going to be fewer female collegiate athletes in the future because of this settlement, and I think that’s a crying shame,” Reeves said.

Wimberly thinks many Division 1 schools need to rethink how they fund athletics, regardless of the settlement.

“A lot of universities are upside down, even some in the Southeastern Conference, because they overspend,” Wimberly said. “They’re going to have to balance a book and ask, ‘Does it make sense to keep supporting this sport with scholarships, equipment and meals, or should we cut it?’”

If the athletes’ appeal succeeds, it could delay settlement payouts for more than a year and force a major overhaul of how colleges allocate athletic funds by gender.