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Final Up to date On: December twentieth, 2024
Again in April, we had been abuzz concerning the prospect of WNBA cards experiencing a mini-boomlet thanks to 1 promising draft choose from the midwest: Caitlin Clark. With the newest WNBA season within the books, it’s truthful to say that Clark lived as much as her finish of the hype, inaugurating one of many most-watched seasons of girls’s basketball within the sport’s historical past.
Rookie of the 12 months. WNBA All-Star. First Workforce All-Rookie. First Workforce All–WNBA. Fourth in MVP voting. With only one season below her belt, Clark’s trophy case is probably going already in want of an growth. Now that the skilled product has matched the hype, it’s time to take a more in-depth take a look at investing in Caitlin Clark rookie playing cards.
On this publish, we’ll spotlight Clark’s numerous rookie playing cards, together with pre-professional gadgets from Sports activities Illustrated and Bowman College, in addition to her pro-debut playing cards from Panini Origins and Choose. Lastly, we’ll stroll you thru a choice of notable Caitlin Clark rookie card gross sales to get an thought of the place the passion stands for the Indiana Fever star.
Let’s dig in!
Who’s Caitlin Clark?
Caitlin Clark first got here on most people’ radar after main the Iowa Hawkeyes to an upset win over South Carolina (which entered on a 42-game win streak) throughout her junior season, en path to amassing nearly each particular person collegiate basketball honor. However Clark was a star within the making properly earlier than 2023.
As a excessive schooler, Clark was a McDonald’s All-American and ranked as 2020’s No. 4 faculty prospect by ESPN, behind Paige Bueckers, Angel Reese, and Cameron Brink, respectively. In her senior yr, Clark bested Davidson’s Stephen Curry’s document for many threes in a university season and set a brand new NCAA event girls’s scoring document.
After securing back-to-back AP Participant of the 12 months honors, she declared for the 2024 WNBA draft and was chosen first total by the Indiana Fever. Clark helped lead the Fever to a turnaround season, ending third within the Jap Convention and a first-round playoff look earlier than falling to the Connecticut Solar.
However greater than on-court prowess, she’s recognized for the “Caitlin Impact,” during which her title and model add on the spot worth to any to which it’s related. For instance, one study prompt Clark would add almost $2.5 million in worth to the Indianapolis area (residence to the Fever) simply by having her on the crew.
Clark, along with the extraordinarily proficient crop of younger WNBAers, is an enormous motive why the WNBA is expected to over double its value over the following three years. In different phrases, Clark’s mixture of expertise and media visibility mix to make her an final X-factor player. Due to the Caitlin Impact, we’d actually anticipate her rookie playing cards to flourish as an funding.
Rookie Card Overview
What 12 months did Caitlin Clark’s Rookie Card Debut?
Caitlin Clark’s rookie card debuted in 2024, the identical yr she declared for the draft. Earlier than 2024, a number of manufacturers launched pre-rookie playing cards that includes her as a university phenom.
Let’s contact on a number of of these pre-rookie releases earlier than diving into her post-draft Panini assortment.
Pre-Rookie Releases (XRCs/Prospect Playing cards)
Earlier than the draft, firms with collegiate licenses started printing off the primary Caitlin Clark rookie playing cards (although they aren’t thought-about her “true” rookie since she isn’t in a WNBA jersey).
Corporations like Sports activities Illustrated and Bowman College reeled off sheets of Caitlin Clark rookie playing cards that includes the longer term prime choose in her Iowa Hawkeyes uniform. Listed here are a number of to know:
2021 Sports activities Illustrated for Children
It’s a time-honored custom to have Sports activities Illustrated for Children print off an early version of a participant’s rookie card. Many greats – Victor Wembanyama, Tony Hawk, Tiger Woods, Serena Williams – have seen their playing cards printed on the long-lasting perforated sheet.
But these playing cards hardly ever have the long-term lifespan of a licensed, post-draft, true rookie card. This is because of a number of causes. First and maybe the obvious is that the cardboard doesn’t function the participant of their professional uniform, a particular knock for novice and picky collectors alike.
Second, these playing cards take a variety of work to take care of in good situation. Begin with the truth that the playing cards should be actually ripped from the journal alongside the perforated edges. The shortage of unpolluted edges and contours makes collectors’ pores and skin crawl. Third, the playing cards aren’t “pack-pulled.”
We devoted an entire post to debunking the myths around non-pack-pulled cards, however on this case, it’s a severe consideration. Whereas Sports activities Illustrated for Children rookie playing cards normally see some intrigue early on, it’s usually restricted to a flash within the pan till the true rookies come alongside.
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2022 Bowman College Basketball
Relating to baseball playing cards, Bowman 1sts are the cream of the crop as a participant’s “prospect” or “minor league” card. Because of this, it’s unsurprising that basketball playing cards warmth up as a participant’s “prospect card,” on condition that they’re nonetheless of their faculty jersey.
Such was the case for Clark. Her 2022 Bowman College card was one of many first non-perforated playing cards to be obtainable throughout her iconic 2022-24 run with Iowa. The Bowman College set comes with all Topps/Bowman’s logos: a base chrome set, two dozen refractor parallels, and a bunch of auto playing cards.
Moreover, the 2022 Bowman College set consists of each males and girls, so the hunt for Victor Wembanyama’s card makes for double the enjoyable when ripping.
Others
Along with Bowman and Sports activities Illustrated, Panini printed its personal set of Clark pre-rookie playing cards below its Select and Contenders manufacturers. A private favourite, if strictly for the out-of-the-box (pun supposed) design, is her Donruss “Crunch Time” card from 2024.
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Key Rookie Playing cards
To date, Panini has launched solely Choose (making its WNBA debut) and Origins WNBA playing cards. Prizm, Panini’s flagship model, can be on the horizon, however a particular launch date has not been set.
Panini Choose
For the primary time in its historical past, Panini expanded its Select brand to incorporate WNBA gamers (an ideal instance of the Caitlin Impact at work). However well-seasoned collectors will immediately acknowledge the set, which is among the many most sought-after non-Prizm playing cards round.
The set consists of 250 playing cards divided up into three tiers: Concourse (#1-100), Premier (#101-200), and Courtside (#201-250). Concourse and Premier every come stocked with 23 parallels complete, together with two 1/1s, whereas Courtside options simply 16 complete parallels.
Then there are Choose’s iconic group of inserts, the most effective of which is the five-card Shade Wheel insert. Collectors also can get their arms on auto and jersey playing cards from the Choose set.
Given their latest launch on the finish of October, the Caitlin Clark Choose rookie playing cards have been flying off the shelves. Probably the most exceptional options of Choose is that, given the three-tiered providing, there are many alternatives to focus on Caitlin Clark’s rookie playing cards. Ditto for the inserts; given Clark’s dominance, she’s well-represented in every insert and auto set.
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Panini Origins
Followers entered the 2024 season with out-of-this-world hopes for the WNBA. Panini evidently felt the identical manner and designed its WNBA Origins set with an outer area theme. With simply seven parallels (together with a Black 1/1), the set might not have the identical hype as Choose, nevertheless it packs loads of punch with rarity.
One in every of our favourite playing cards from this set consists of the Caitlin Clark rookie Twin Autographs set, which she shares with fellow Indiana Fever (and 2023 Rookie of the 12 months) Aliyah Boston.
Panini Prizm (Coming Quickly 🔥)
For now, followers should await the wedding between Caitlin Clark’s rookie playing cards and Panini’s flagship model, Prizm. Whereas bins can be found to pre-order, there’s no clear timeline for launch, that means followers may need to attend till after the Holidays to gather Caitlin Clark Prizm playing cards.
It’s value speculating how in style Clark’s Prizm rookie card shall be. For older WNBA card units, shortage is actual attributable to restricted demand and, thus, restricted print runs. However Clark’s superstardom mixed with higher curiosity in girls’s basketball wouldn’t be surprising to see Panini enhance its print runs considerably.
This leaves collectors in a tough spot. Sure, demand for Clark’s rookie playing cards shall be immense, however will such demand create long-term issues for the cardboard’s valuation? Given what we all know concerning the relationship between pop count and value, collectors may need to keep on with serial-numbered playing cards, the place print runs are a recognized amount, moderately than non-numbered options, such because the Silver Prizm.
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Others
Different Caitlin Clark rookie playing cards value noting embrace Panini Immediate, which is one thing like Panini’s response to Topps Now. Throughout Clark’s rookie season, Panini Immediate printed a number of playing cards that includes the Fever star, together with #164, which options each Clark and fellow rookie standout Angel Reese on the 2024 WNBA All-Star Sport.
If anybody tries to promote you a Caitlin Clark Kaboom! card, ship them straight to the spam folder. As of but, there aren’t any WNBA Kaboom! playing cards (although we positive want this wasn’t the case). Maybe at some point we’ll be fortunate sufficient to see Clark’s likeness on a cool Kaboom!, however for now, the model is proscribed to males’s sports activities.
Signed Rookie Playing cards
To date, we’ve targeted totally on unsigned Caitlin Clark rookie playing cards. However Bowman and Panini additionally provide signed Clark playing cards. It’s value noting that Clark at present has an unique autograph cope with Panini, so any non-Panini autos (not counting her earlier Bowmans) are after-market signatures.
2022 Bowman College Autographs
With 11 numbered parallels, the 2022 Caitlin Clark Bowman College Autographs rookie playing cards had been a number of the first Clark autos to hit the market. Autograph playing cards have a tendency to carry up exceptionally properly over time value-wise, so despite the fact that they’re pre-rookie, they need to retain a minimum of some worth.
One other cap within the Bowman College autos’ favor is that amassing WNBA playing cards varies drastically from conventional males’s sports activities due primarily to traditionally scattered curiosity within the product. So, whereas a males’s pre-rookie basketball card might tank in worth as quickly as the professional model arrives, the identical can’t be mentioned of WNBA playing cards, which start with a severely restricted pool of merchandise.
Along with the 2022 set, the 2023 Bowman U auto collection options a superb twin auto between Clark and then-LSU star Angel Reese.
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2022 Panini Origins Twin Autograph
One other card value mentioning is the 2024 Panini Origins Twin Autograph, which options 2024 Rookie of the 12 months Caitlin Clark and her Fever teammate Aliyah Boston, who additionally gained Rookie of the 12 months honors in 2023.
Whether or not it’s the long-lasting 1980 Larry Hen/Magic Johnson rookie card or the 2008 Topps Chrome that includes LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, playing cards with twin stars stay in style lengthy after printing. Given Clark and Boston’s standing, the 2024 Panini Origins Twin auto can enter that vaunted class.
Noteworthy Caitlin Clark Rookie Card Gross sales
Beneath is an inventory of 10 noteworthy Caitlin Clark rookie card gross sales, chosen based mostly on a number of components, together with sale value, date, and kind of card.
| Card | Sale Value | Date |
| 2024 Panini Choose WNBA #SG-CC Caitlin Clark Signatures Gold Vinyl 1/1 | $234,850 | Dec. 2024 |
| 2024 Panini Immediate WNBA Draft Caitlin Clark Auto Blue Viper 1/1 | $84,000 | Sep. 2024 |
| 2022 Bowman College #50 Caitlin Clark Superfractor 1/1 PSA 10 | $78,000 | Jan. 2024 |
| 2024 Choose WNBA Draft Caitlin Clark Black Finite Auto 1/1 | $52,800 | Dec. 2024 |
| 2022 Bowman U Finest #DACB Boston/Clark DL-AU Suprefractor 1/1 PSA 9 | $13,999 | Jul. 2024 |
| 2021 Sports activities Illustrated for Children #997 Caitlin Clark PSA 9 | $9,900 | Aug. 2024 |
| 2024 Choose WNBA #5 Caitlin Clark Shade Wheel PSA 10 | $4,000 | Dec. 2024 |
| 2023 Bowman U Now #DABC C.Clark/P. Bueckers March Insanity Twin Auto PSA 10 | $9,760 | Jul. 2024 |
| 2022 Bowman College Finest #50 Caitlin Clark PSA 10 | $9,270 | Oct. 2024 |
| 2024 Choose WNBA #72 Caitlin Clark Gold Prizm /10 PSA 10 | $6,500 | Dec. 2024 |
A couple of components stand out proper off the bat. First, try how properly the Bowman playing cards have retained their values even after Panini entered the fray with post-draft rookie playing cards. It’s a superb total signal that, two years later, Clark’s pre-rookie playing cards are nonetheless competing properly along with her true rookies.
Second, contemplate the timeframe of those purchases. Whereas the passion has undoubtedly skilled a dip for the reason that early 2020s surge, Clark’s market stays exceptionally sturdy. At the same time as lately as this month, high-end Clark playing cards are going for 4 to 6 figures. Even non-autos just like the 2024 Choose Gold Prizm and 2022 Bowman Finest are turning a fairly penny.
Third, we are able to get an actual sense of how various the market is for Caitlin Clark rookie playing cards. A decade in the past, we’d see a fraction of the variety of WNBA playing cards obtainable. At this time, Clark alone has dozens of playing cards worthy of collectors’ consideration.
Removed from a novelty, Caitlin Clark rookie playing cards have gotten trade movers. However might there nonetheless be room for progress? Clark’s playing cards carry a nearly $1 million market cap. That is no small determine nevertheless it places her on observe with the likes of Kyrie Irving, Jack Nicklaus, and Iron Man.
This tells us that there’s nonetheless loads of room for Caitlin Clark rookie playing cards to develop, a superb signal for potential traders.
Caitlin Clark Rookies on eBay
Professional Tip: set Max Value to a spread inside your required price range. Remember the default kind order will show playing cards ending soonest on eBay, and will be modified to kind by value, or by playing cards with probably the most bids.
Abstract
No matter your opinions about Caitlin Clark, the participant, there’s little denying that Clark is among the most necessary figures in American sports activities historical past. She’s a generational expertise for greater than her on-court efficiency; she will be able to do what the likes of Invoice Russell, Babe Ruth, Wayne Gretzky, and Joe Namath all did: legitimize the game they performed.
Certainly, ought to the WNBA elevate in standing over the following decade, will probably be thanks in no small half to the ultra-rare mixture of Clark’s talent and recognition. If Clark can launch girls’s basketball into the mainstream, think about what she’ll do for her playing cards.
Thus, we’re at a pivotal second for WNBA playing cards. Caitlin Clark’s rookie playing cards thrive, particularly as soon as her Panini Prizm playing cards launch. Are we on the verge of a mini-boom for WNBA playing cards? We expect so, which suggests these holding Caitlin Clark’s Twin Autos, her Shade Wheel Choose Insert, and serial-numbered Prizms will inevitably be pleased campers.
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