Summarize and humanize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs in EnglishIndiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark fueled the WNBA’s record breaking viewership and attendance in 2024 and she’s driving similar growth in the trading card hobby, as well. In March, Clark’s one-of-a-kind 2024 Panini Prizm WNBA Signature Gold Vinyl card sold for $366,000 at auction, setting a new all-time record for a women’s sports card (a Serena Williams 2003 NetPro rookie patch autograph card that sold in 2022 for $266,400 previously held the record). According to CardLadder, which tracks individual trading card sales across multiple marketplaces, each of the top 37 most valuable WNBA cards of all time are Clark cards even though it’s been less than a year since they first started appearing in WNBA releases. So what are the best options when it comes to starting a collection of Clark trading cards? Here are our picks.Top pick (full recommendations below)2024 Panini Select WNBA #218 Courtside rookie cardThis is my best recommendation based on its relatively low print run compared to traditional base rookie cards. The card’s significant demand combined with its affordable price tag in a gem-mint PSA 10 grade (currently about $200) makes it especially appealing to collectors who want a more limited Clark base rookie card.Things to know before buyingThe value of sports cards can fluctuate for various reasons such as condition, print runs, or graded population. Other factors that can cause prices to go up or down include player performance, market trends, and health of the wider economy. The secondary sales market for individual cards of a given sport generally hits its lowest point during the offseason (in other words, you can usually find better prices in the offseason than during the season). My recommendations are not an attempt to promote specific investment behavior or trading advice, but to guide and inform readers about popular and unique cards that are celebrated by the sports card community.Ultimately, the best cards to collect are always the ones you will personally enjoy most, regardless of whether they go up or down in value. The recommendations below should serve as a starting point for cards to consider, but a big part of the fun in collecting is the hunt for the cards you like. “Raw” cards vs. Graded cardsCards can come out of the pack (their “raw” state) with a wide variety of imperfections that can impact their value. Card grading is a process in which an expert of the field determines the condition of a card based on a number of factors (including corner sharpness, image centering, print imperfections, and more) and assigns a numerical grade, usually on a scale of 1-10 (with the latter being close to perfect) and sealed in a protective case. There are a number of grading companies, each with their own unique grading scales, but PSA (Professional Sports Authenticator) is by far the largest and most prominent in the industry. Cards graded a “PSA 10” can carry a significant value multiplier compared to raw cards or those graded by other companies. It’s fine (and often cheaper) to buy cards raw, but if you want to ensure authenticity and/or a minimum condition level, and you’re not experienced at determining card condition for yourself, you may want to buy a graded card instead — particularly if you’re buying online and only able to see the card in photographs. Best low-end (~$1-$99) Caitlin Clark cardsThis is a category for collectors who are on a tighter budget or aren’t as concerned about the long-term monetary value of the cards they buy. 2024 Panini Prizm Monopoly #65 rookie cardThe exclusive WNBA trading card license is currently held by Panini, and its most popular set across all its properties is Prizm. Starting in 2022, Panini has expanded the Prizm brand by partnering with Hasbro on Monopoly Prizm Edition games and card sets. Clark’s 2024 Prizm Monopoly #65 card is a budget-friendly base rookie card option. From a sales volume standpoint, Clark’s Prizm Monopoly base card is one of her most transacted WNBA rookie cards. It’s also reasonably priced in PSA 10 grade, with eBay sales between $75 and $100.If you’re looking to add a low-cost PSA 10 Clark rookie card from a highly recognizable basketball brand, this is a worthy choice and a solid alternative to her more expensive Prizm flagship rookie cards (note for those interested in that set: Clark has two rookie cards in the base checklist of the flagship 2024 Prizm set. #22, which features an action shot of Clark, and #145, which is a posed shot. Card #22 regularly sells for a bit more than #145 since it’s Clark’s first card in the set).More expensive parallels: Deal Prizm, Dice Prizm, Free Parking Prizm, Go Prizm, Millionaire Club Prizm, Monopoly Man Black and White Prizm, Purple Prizm, Silver Prizm, Tiger Stripe Boardwalk Blue Prizm, Gold Millionaire Shimmer (/500), Brown Prizm (/249), Light Blue Prizm (/199), Pink Prizm (/149), Orange Prizm (/124), Red Millionaire Shimmer Prizm (/100), Red Prizm (/99), Purple Millionaire Shimmer Prizm (/50), Gold Prizm (/49), Question Mark Prizm (/25), Green Prizm (/24), Green Millionaire Shimmer Prizm (/20), Boardwalk Blue Prizm (/15), Blue Millionaire Shimmer Prizm (/10), Gold Wave Millionaire Prizm (/10), Neon Green Prizm (/10), Black Gold Prizm (/5), Pink Millionaire Shimmer Prizm (/5), Black Prizm (1/1), White Millionaire Shimmer Prizm (1/1)2022 Bowman University Chrome “Bowman 1st” #50 The baseball card community widely accepts 1st Bowman cards as the first official cards of MLB draft picks and prospects. They precede a player’s MLB rookie card and are some of the most coveted and valuable cards a player can have. In 2021, Topps, which owns the Bowman brand, debuted a counterpart to the traditional Bowman baseball sets for NCAA football and basketball card fanatics with Bowman University Chrome. These sets feature 1st Bowman cards of rising collegiate stars and emerging players before they make their mark in the U.S.’s top pro sports leagues.Clark’s 2022 Bowman Chrome #50 card technically isn’t her earliest trading card, but it’s one of the first to be included in a traditional sports card release from a mainstream brand. For that reason, it’s her second-most graded card by PSA as of this writing.College cards traditionally have not been as desirable in the hobby a pro team cards, but even now that Clark’s WNBA rookie cards have been released, the value of her 1st Bowman cards is still holding relatively strong in a PSA 10 grade, but raw and PSA 9 examples currently sell for less than $50. More expensive serial numbered parallels of this card: Refractor, Pink Refractor, Shimmer Refractor, Purple Refractor (/399), Purple Mini-Diamond Refractor (/399), Aqua Refractor (/299), Aqua Wave Refractor (/299), Blue Refractor (/199), Blue RayWave Refractor (/199), Fuchsia Mini-Diamond Refractor (/150), Pink Wave Refractor (/125), RayWave Refractor (/100), Green Refractor (/99), Green Shimmer Refractor (/99), Lava Green Refractors (/99), Yellow Refractor (/75), Gold Refractor (/50), Gold Shimmer Refractor (/50), Orange Refractor (/25), Orange Shimmer Refractor (/25), Red Shimmer Refractor (/10), Red Refractor (/5), Black Shimmer Refractor (1/1), Superfractor (1/1)Best value (~$100-$499) Caitlin Clark cardsThis is a category for collectors looking to pay a bit more for cards that have some degree of scarcity and have a better chance at retaining or increasing in value long-term. 2024 Panini Origins #13 rookie cardPanini WNBA Origins is a premium, hobby exclusive set and is aimed at collectors who embrace quality over quantity. 2024 WNBA Origins boxes contain only one pack with 10 cards included, but collectors can find three autograph or memorabilia cards per box (on average). The set’s theme is centered around the beginning or “Origins” of the WNBA rookie class and card designs that emphasize an extraterrestrial aesthetic. Clark’s Origins base rookie card showcases a luminous nebula and a crescent moon in a space-inspired background.Roughly six months after Origins was first released, less than 100 copies of Clark’s Origins #13 base rookie card have been graded by PSA. (For comparison, there are around 3,500 PSA graded examples of her 2024 Select #57 Concourse base rookie that was released around the same time). So finding this one won’t be as easy as some other on this list. Since WNBA Origins is not offered in large retail stores like Walmart or Target, and is only available through hobby shops and online retailers, the amount of cards printed for the set is substantially less than widely distributed sets like Prizm and Select. Another component that may contribute to the low number of PSA graded Clark Origins rookie cards is the thick card stocks’ condition-sensitivity. The thicker-than-usual card stock used to produce Origins cards is highly susceptible to edge chipping, warping, and scratching that can result in lower grades.Although it’s from a set that’s known more for its flashy autograph and memorabilia hits, the relative scarcity of Clark’s Origins #13 combined with the fact that it’s her first pack-pulled WNBA rookie card has it selling for $150-$200 on eBay as of this writing. Sealed boxes of 2024 WNBA Origins are also available for purchase between $300-$500.More expensive parallels: Swirl, Red (/99), Blue (/75), Teal (/49), Purple (/25), Gold (/10), Black (1/1)2024 Panini Select WNBA #218 Courtside rookie cardSelect basketball cards are widely regarded as one of the top releases, known for unique set structure and colorful parallels. The success of its NBA cards prompted Panini to debut a WNBA Select set in 2024 for Clark and Angel Reese’s rookie seasons.WNBA Select has three tiers of base cards: Concourse, which is the most common, Premier, and Courtside cards, which is the rarest. Each tier has its unique design, but Panini is kind enough to label the different levels on the back of the card under the card number.The Courtside card’s futuristic swirl stripe design separates itself from the conventional style of sets like Prizm. The prestige of Select and the scarcity of Courtside cards puts Clark’s near the top of my list for her most appealing base rookie cards. Additionally, its selling for around $200 in a PSA 10 grade, which contributes to why I’ve chosen it as my best value recommendation.Additional variations and parallels: Green Ice Prizm, Pink Ice Prizm, Red Ice Prizm, Silver Prizm, Silver Flash Prizm, Purple Ice Prizm (/149), Tiger Prizm, Zebra Prizm, Tie-Dye Prizm (/25), Gold Prizm (/10), Gold Flash Prizm (/10), Ice Gold Prizm (/10), Black Gold Prizm (/5), Black Finite Prizm (1/1), Gold Vinyl Prizm (1/1)Best high-end (~$500+) Caitlin Clark cardsThis is a category for collectors looking to acquire the most desired Clark cards on the market. 2024 Panini Prizm #SG-CC Rookie SignaturesI’ve already touched on Panini’s most popular brand of basketball cards, but one of the top chases of the flagship set every year has to be its rookie autographs. The 2024 Rookie of the Year has a few different WNBA Prizm autographed rookie cards and inserts on the checklist, but her base Signatures card has a broader appeal to the average card collector.Since 2024 WNBA Prizm was just released in early 2025, there haven’t been many sales of Clark’s #SG-CC autograph card, but that will change as more packs are opened. Raw examples are currently selling on eBay for close to $1,000 and PSA 10’s are fetching between $2,000-$2,500.The rich history of Panini Prizm sets and its highly sought-after rookie autograph cards are why it has my vote as her finest base rookie autograph card. If you really want to treat yourself, Prizm offers colorful parallels that are worth considering — especially the red “color-match” parallel that’s limited to only 99 copies.(A “color match” is a refractor or parallel card that matches a player’s team colors. Color match parallels are generally priced at a premium compared to others, even if they’re not as rare.) More expensive parallels: Prizms Green, Prizms Red (/99), Prizms Blue (/75), Prizms Purple (/49) Prizms Teal (/35), Prizms Mojo (/25), Prizms Green Pulsar (/25), Prizms Gold (/10), Prizms Gold Vinyl (1/1) Prizms White Sparkle (1/1)2024 Panini Color Blast rookie insertsPanini has capitalized on Clark’s unprecedented WNBA superstardom by featuring her on one of the hobby’s most celebrated modern cards: the Color Blast SSP (super short print) insert. The ultra-rare insert card was first introduced in 2019 as a part of the Prizm set, but has branched out into other notable Panini sets as demand and values increased. The card design’s simplistic yet vibrant backdrop with an explosion of color pictured behind the player’s image makes it look like an art piece.The face of the WNBA has several different 2024 Color Blast insert rookie cards included in sets such as Prizm Draft Picks, WNBA Prizm, Prizm Monopoly, Select, and more. Clark’s WNBA Color Blast cards are selling for more than a couple thousand dollars, but fans who appreciate her dominance in college basketball can find Color Blast inserts of her in an Iowa uniform for a slightly reduced price.If I had to choose the best Clark super short print insert, it’s this one without hesitation.Other cool Caitlin Clark cards2021 Sports Illustrated for Kids #997The very first Clark trading card can be found in Sports Illustrated for Kids and was released during her sophomore year at the University of Iowa. Clark’s performance during the 2021 season was incredible, as she averaged 27 points per game and secured her first AP All-American First Team honors.The monthly sports magazine for young fans has produced cards in each issue since 1989 and has featured early trading cards of icons across multiple sports, such as LeBron James, Tiger Woods and Mia Hamm.SI for Kids magazines comes with a sheet of nine perforated trading cards that can be individually removed by gently folding and tearing them out. As a result, finding them in high grades is extremely difficult. Since these have to be pulled apart by hand and are made with low-quality cardstock, the risk of damage is high. Another factor is centering inconsistencies. All together, this has produced a small number of PSA-authenticated examples — less than 150 copies have been graded by PSA and none have earned a gem mint 10 grade.Raw sales of Clark’s SI for Kids card span from $100 to as high as $250 depending on its condition and aesthetic appearance. If I were looking to add this card to my collection, I’d be interested in buying a copy of the magazine that the card was issued in so I could cautiously remove it from the sheet myself. The November/December 2021 issue of SI for Kids including Clark’s earliest card can be found on eBay with sales in the $150 range.2024 Panini Instant Draft Night rookie card #DN-1Print-to-order cards are traditionally considered less desirable than pack-pulled cards by collectors, but sometimes they preserve a monumental moment that captures the attention of the hobby. That’s the case with the Panini Instant card produced to mark Clark being selected as the No. 1 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft. This is Clark’s very first WNBA card, produced right after the draft as an online exclusive sold through Panini’s website. The staggering demand resulted in the card’s print run eclipsing 45,000 copies. But despite the abundance of them produced, its monetary value has been surprisingly stable, even as the traditional sets have hit the market, currently selling for around $70 raw and $225 in a PSA 10.More expensive parallels: Jungle (/25), Jaguar (/10), White Tiger (/5), Blue Viper (1/1)2023-24 Bowman U Now #49Another highly collectible, yet less valuable print-to-order Clark card is the Bowman U Now offering to commemorate when she broke the NCAA all-time women’s scoring record. This one had a print run of nearly 48,000, but it’s a must have for any comprehensive Clark collection.More expensive parallels: die-cut (/99), Blue (/49), Purple (/25), Red (/10), Orange (/5), Gold (/1) 2023 Bowman U Now Caitlin Clark / Paige Bueckers March Madness Dual AutographThis is another Bowman U Now card, but these were found in eight-card packs originally priced at $139 each. It’s tough to beat a card featuring autographs of the 2024 WNBA No. 1 draft pick and the likely 2025 WNBA No. 1 draft pick.More expensive parallels: Purple (/25), Red (/10), Orange (/5), Gold (/1)Getting the best pricePrices for a certain trading card can vary wildly and fluctuate quickly, making it important to check recent sales of a given card to make sure you’re buying at a fair value. You can check recent sales of an item on eBay by selecting the “sold items” filter on search results. You can also run a search on 130point.com, which is a free site that provides sales data from a number of top online marketplaces. There are also several apps that provide more in-depth sales data, often charging subscription fees for full access. To account for outliers and scams, it’s important to consider multiple previous sales, not just the single most recent. It’s also important to note the recency of those sales and any real-world factors that could affect changes in value. Why you should trust usAs a second-generation collector, Tyler Holzhammer started collecting cards and attending the National Sports Collectors Convention at 10 years old. He’s evolved his passion as a collector into a career, previously providing sports card content and market analysis for companies like Sports Card Investor and Goldin Auctions. Tyler’s sports card collection is centered around players from his favorite teams, the Los Angeles Rams and the St. Louis Cardinals.The Athletic maintains full editorial independence in all our coverage. When you click or make purchases through our links, we may earn a commission.(Top photo: Steph Chambers/Getty Images; card images: eBay)
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