What are the Most Valuable WNBA Basketball Cards?

With the first pick in the 2022 WNBA Draft, the Atlanta Dream selected Rhyne Howard out of Kentucky. The 6-foot-2 senior led the Wildcats in points, rebounds, three-pointers, blocks, and steals. Whereas an NBA top draft pick can earn up to $8.3-million his rookie season, Howard’s base salary for the 2022 season will be just over $71,000 with the potential to earn $91,981 by her fourth year. In an effort to increase her annual income, Howard may want to look into investing in her rookie WNBA basketball cards.

What’s the Most Valuable Rookie Card?

Here’s a quick breakdown of some recent rookie card sales of previous WNBA No. 1 draft picks:

Keep in mind, the most valuable WNBA cards are typically reviewed by one of the best trading card grading companies, PSA and/or Beckett.

For those unfamiliar, the late Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gigi went to watch Ionescu play the USC Trojans when she was a rising star on the Oregon Ducks roster. Bryant wound up mentoring Ionsecu and had such an impact in her life on and off the court, she spoke at his memorial service back in 2020. Despite some injuries, she’s lived up to the No. 1 pick hype and her relationship with the NBA star no doubt helped boost her global reach as basketball card collectors who love Kobe are also now drawn to Ionsecu.

The Seattle Storm’s Breanna Stewart was among the 2021 league leaders in points, rebounds and blocks per game. The Brittney Griner sale does come with an asterisk only because it sold shortly after Russia announced it had arrested her shortly after the start of the invasion of Ukraine. The geo-political world doesn’t cross paths with trading card enthusiasts very often, but when it does, sale prices do tend to rise.

It’s also worth noting that Griner’s and Stewart’s rookie cards were produced by a company called Rittenhouse better known for their sci-fi trading card products focused on shows like “Game of Thrones” and “Dr. Who.” For a few years, prior to Panini’s entrance into the space, Rittenhouse had a relative monopoly on the WNBA trading card market, and finding one in mint/pristine condition is rare.

Where Can I Buy WNBA Cards?

The cool thing about WNBA trading cards is that you can buy them at retail locations. Most Targets, Walmarts and Meijers sell individual WNBA packs, cello hangers — which typically include at least three packs — and blaster boxes, which include a handful of packs or so with retail exclusive chase cards not found in other products.

Local card hobby shops and online trading card businesses also sell WNBA trading card boxes and packs. If you are seeking a specific player or team, it’s best to stick with eBay auctions and cardboard warehouse hub Comc.com.

What’s the Rarest WNBA Card?

Sami Whitcomb’s 2021 Panini Prizm Black Prizm sold for $1,825 on eBay on March 1, 2022.

Few cards are as coveted as Panini’s black prizm series. Each card in the parallel set is serial numbered 1-of-1. So, only one person in the world can own that player’s black prizm.

Sami Whitcomb is an American-Australia basketball player who after playing four years at the University of Washington went undrafted in the 2010 WNBA Draft. She balled out in Australia for a few years before returning to the states and catching on with the Seattle Storm. Whitcomb helped the Storm win championships in 2018 and 2020.

Whitcomb’s 2021 Panini Prizm black prizm sold for more than $1,800 this year, which was no doubt aided by her global reach as she spent her early-20’s as a star player in Australia and although she never played for the Aussie Olympic basketball team, she did help the national team win a silver at the 2018 FIBA World Cup in Spain.

Some other notable Panini black prizm WNBA sales in 2022 are:

• Diana Turasi “Far Out” subset black prizm 1/1 sold for $1,250.
• Canada Parker “Fireworks” subset black prizm 1/1 for $350.
• Monique Billings 2021 Panini black prizm 1/1 sold for $150.
• A Sue Bird “Fearless” Panini black prizm 1/1 PSA 9 is on sale on eBay for $3,995.95!

What are the Most Valuable WNBA Cards Sold in 2024?

Though it will always hear from critics, frustrated by their robust fees on trading card sales, eBay remains the top destination to buy and sell WNBA cards. As of early-April 2022, these are the most valuable cards sold on the auction platform:

• 2016 Rittenhouse Breanna Stewart Rookie Card Auto graded PSA 10 sold for $5,750.
• 2002 Ultra WNBA Sup Bird Rookie Card graded PSA 10 sold for $4,200.
• 2013 Rittenhouse Brittney Griner Rookie Card graded PSA 10 sold for $2,500.

With NBA players like LeBron James and Chris Paul actively promoting the WNBA game, we shouldn’t be surprised to witness trading card prices rise in the coming years (and possibly an increase in what a WNBA player makes). The cardboard hobby revolution is here and the ladies are straight cash.

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