CAITLIN CLARK FEVER: WNBA’s Wonder Woman sets sports card record, rookie cards spark huge hobby demand
WNBA star Caitlin Clark stunned the hobby Thursday when one of her rookie cards shattered the all-time record for a woman's sports card, selling for $660,000.
Clark's 2024 Panini Flawless WNBA Platinum Rookie #1/1 Logowoman Patch Auto sold in the July Premier Auction at Fanatics Collect. Clark also held the previous record for a women's sports card at $366,000. Those two cards are the highest-selling cards ever for a female athlete.
The record sale comes as Clark's trading cards continue to attract high demand and big sales at online marketplaces. During a three-week stretch between in July1-21, no fewer than five Caitlin Clark cards sold for between $20,000 and $23,000. And another 33 Clark cards brought between $10,000 and $20,000.
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It truly was a case of collectors catching Caitlin fever as the WNBA season started heating up.
And why not? The second-year Indiana Fever guard picked up where she left off in her stellar Rookie of the Year season. Despite battling injuries, she’s been averaging 16.5 points, 8.8 assists and 5 rebounds per game. She has struck a nerve in the hobby in the best possible sense, showing determination and constant creativity on the court along with remarkable resilience.
Three of the five $20,000 items were autographed cards from Panini’s 2024-25 National Treasures Rookie Royalty series. One marked #20/24 sold for $25,100 on 35 bids. Two others are slightly less rare, having been issued in an edition of 49, but brought comparable prices. The Rookie Royalty card marked #15/49 drew the same price, $25,100, on 94 bids. Another Rookie Royalty marked #39/49 brought $20,800 on 45 bids.
All three cards were ungraded and the patches embedded are decorative rather than historical. Per Panini’s note on the back: “The enclosed officially licensed material is not associated with any specific player, game, or event.” The autographs, however, are “guaranteed by Panini.”
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Meanwhile, a signed 2024-25 Panini Flawless Sapphire card fetched $22,322 on 70 bids. It was marked #7/15 and ungraded.
Still another ungraded card, a 2024-25 Panini Rookie Ticket “Cracked Ice” variation, sold for $21,268.
Want more Clark? Here’s a sampling of prices paid for other five-figure items on eBay recently:
• $19,589 on 56 bids for a 2024 Panini Select signed Gold Prizm card. Graded PSA 10, it was marked #10/10.
• $16,301 on 21 bids for a 2024 Panini signed Immaculate Collection card marked #5/10. Nearly two dozen other Immaculate cards—issued in editions of 25 and 99—sold for five-figures prices.
• $14,722 on 49 bids for a 2024 Panini autographed Instant WNBA “Pick No. 1” card graded PSA 10.
• $11,300 on six bids for an ungraded 2024-25 Panini Kaboom! card. Another example of the same card, also ungraded, sold for $11,212 on 31 bids.
• $11,300 on 45 bids for a 2024-25 Panini Rookie Royalty signed Noir Sneaker Spotlight card. This one was marked # 3/5.