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Caitlin Clark signs exclusive trading card, memorabilia deal with Panini
Caitlin Clark’s amazing performance on the basketball court is starting to make a big impact on the sports collectibles hobby.
Panini has signed the Iowa women’s college basketball star to an exclusive, multi-year trading card and memorabilia deal. The agreement marks Panini’s first exclusive partnership with a female athlete. The memorabilia deal begins immediately, with the trading card deal set to begin on April 1.
Clark, the all-time leading scorer for women’s college basketball, also broke the record held by LSU and NBA legend Pete Maravich for the most points scored in all of Division 1 college basketball, men’s or women’s. Clark, a senior with an extra year of eligibility remaining at Iowa, announced recently that she will be entering the WNBA Draft after this season. She is expected to be the No. 1 pick.
Panini’s first products featuring Clark will be a collection of multiple cards celebrating different points in her career, including her first Panini Instant Card celebrating her scoring record in women’s college basketball. Panini also plans to release a dedicated Caitlin Clark trading card product that will be available for pre-order beginning in April.
“Caitlin is a generational talent, and it is natural that she should be our first multi-year exclusive female athlete,” said Jason Howarth, senior vice president of marketing and athlete relations for Panini. “We’ll have a range of products and memorabilia featuring Caitlin that we believe fans will love.”
Clark, the women’s college basketball player of the year last season, recently set a trading card record when her 2022 Bowman University 1/1 Superfractor Rookie Auto card, graded PSA 10, sold for $78,000, a record for women’s basketball cards.
“It’s an honor to partner with Panini America as their first multi-year exclusive female athlete, and I’m excited to collaborate with them on my own collection,” Clark said in a release from Panini.
