Can Paige Bueckers challenge Caitlin Clark in the trading card world? Plus the other names to know
Can Paige Bueckers challenge Caitlin Clark in the trading card world? Plus the other names to know
2023 Bowman Chrome University 1st Bowman Refractor (the hobby puts a premium on a player's 1st Bowman card as a key pre-rookie card and the refractor version is a bit more rare and desirable than the standard base card)
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2023 Bowman Chrome University 1st Bowman Prospect Autograph
2023 Bowman U Now March Madness Bueckers / Clark dual autograph
Aside from Bueckers, whose card market benefited the most from their performance in the tournament?
The NCAA tournament provides a great vehicle for athletes to become household names, elevating their brand on the biggest stage. This year was no exception as several athletes saw their popularity rise, positioning themselves as prime targets for collectors.
Azzi Fudd
The Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four, Fudd wasn't on the sidelines this year rehabbing a torn ACL like she was last year. Her versatility was key to UConn's championship run, highlighted by her 11 third quarter points in the final, a UConn Women's Basketball record. Collectors looking for Fudd in a mainstream Topps or Panini product will have to wait for now. Her first licensed card was through the company, The Player's Trunk. In 2022 they released a team set featuring debut cards of key players such as Azzi Fudd (#1), Nika Muhl (#6), and Aailyah Edwards (#2). ONIT did include Fudd in their UConn team release in 2023-24, and Panini followed with an Instant auto (#71, pictured above) and post-championship release.
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Kiki Iriafen
Going into March Madness, Iriafen was considered by many to be a lock for the third pick in the upcoming WNBA draft. And while the recent announcement of Olivia Miles' return for her final collegiate season, albeit at TCU, has shifted projections, Iriafen's strong March performance and leadership in the absence of JuJu Watkins only raised her profile. Iriafen is included in 2024 Leaf Metal Women of Sport (#45), 2023-24 Panini Prizm Draft Picks, and 2024-25 Bowman University Chrome (#47).
Aneesah Morrow
The WNBA bound Morrow had the best game of her college career in the 2025 Sweet 16, dropping 30 points with 19 rebounds to lead the comeback against NC State. Scoring 2,500 and fetching 1,500 rebounds in a college career certainly turns heads, but her card options have been largely limited to Leaf products. Morrow has appeared in several Leaf releases, beginning with 2022-23 Leaf Draft, and more recently, making her hobby licensed debut in 2024-25 Bowman University Chrome. For those interested in print-to-order options, she has two cards through the Bowman U Now platform.
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Sarah Strong
To be clear, the NCAA Tournament didn't put Strong on collector radars, but it did show that the Freshmen of the Year recipient has lived up to her hype. While her cards were sought after in the recent Topps McDonald's All-American set, prices cooled quickly after it was released, and only after her historic 114-point tournament scoring achievement have her cards crept back up. Several print-to-order cards featuring Strong were released by Panini and Topps following the championship game, adding even more options for collectors already chasing her in Bowman University Chrome.
How do you think JuJu Watkins' injury will impact her card prices?
While a small dip might be expected I certainly wouldn't expect it to last long. My experience from recent breaks of Bowman University Chrome suggest that collectors still have a strong desire for her cards. Online break pricing for the USC team spots, or her solo spots, were consistently priced only behind Cooper Flagg. Though she may be sidelined for part of next season, her recent exclusive deal with Fanatics signals that Watkins will remain very much at the forefront of women's basketball cards and collectibles.
Do you think Bueckers can challenge Clark as the most widely collected WNBA player? And whose name gets misspelled more?
Bueckers cards will be in high demand, especially for her licensed WNBA card debut. Though anything is possible, I don't foresee the kind of seemingly insatiable appetite for all things Bueckers the way the hobby has experienced with Caitlin Clark. There are clearly more buyers in this hobby space today, and this draft class, as well as those coming up in the near future, have lots of stars to keep collectors happy.
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The second question might actually be easier. Bueckers should be the tougher name to spell. Should. But considering how many incorrect spellings I see on a daily basis of Clark's name, I fear the phantom 'y' in her first name might be here to stay.
Whose cards are you buying heading into the WNBA Draft?
It's a great time to be buying WNBA cards, however I am happily ignoring many of the biggest prospects including Bueckers, Watkins, and Clark. Those players are in high demand, with prices reflecting such. In contrast, many WNBA veterans and legend cards are still wildly undervalued, particularly in comparison to Clark's recent sales. However, two prospects who have flown a bit under the hobby radar that I'm happily buying up are Sonia Citron and Ta'Niya Latson.
Citron's size and versatility will make her a lottery pick with the upside to collectors as a rookie who can make an instant impact on the professional level. She was featured in 2024 Leaf Metal Women of Sport, followed by releases from Bowman U Now (including a dual auto with Hannah Hidalgo) and the recent 2024-25 Bowman University Chrome (#64).
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Though Latson received the 2023 WBCA and USBWA Freshman of the Year Awards and led the nation this past season in scoring average, her national profile was perhaps limited since she played for Florida State. This changes next season as she takes her game from Tallahassee, through the transfer portal, to prime-time South Carolina. And unlike many highly touted players, she only has one mainstream card in the 2022 Topps Chrome McDonald's All American (#29 & #77) release so far.
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This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
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