n her final, record-breaking season at Iowa, Caitlin Clark’s impact on women’s college basketball cannot be overstated, from historic ratings to spiked ticket prices and sold-out arenas. As soon as the obvious No.
1 pick declared for next month’s WNBA draft, the average price for Indiana Fever tickets more than double.
The Caitlin Clark effect is already extending into other areas as well; the jersey she wore to set the all-time Division I scoring record could, for example, fetch $200,000 at auction.
Whether it will translate to the trading card market is an open question, and one that could serve as something of a measure of just how far-reaching her impact could be.
Traditionally, womn’s sports cards have been a marginal part of a hobby dominated by collectors and speculators who prize baseball, football, and basketball cards depicting male players.
Clark will enter the pro ranks at a time when the league’s card licensing is in the hands of Panini, which has gained momentum with the sport in recent years. But two questions naturally arise:
Will the popularity of her name, image, and likeness cards translate to the pros? And if so, can she move the WNBA from the edge toward the center of the hobby?
In January, a one-of-one 2022–23 Bowman University Superfractor autographed by Clark sold for $78,000—a record for a women’s basketball card.
