Two weeks after Caitlin Clark last broke her own record for most expensive ever WNBA trading card, the record has been broken yet again by Clark’s Panini Instant one-of-a-kind Rookie of the Year Blue Viper autograph card (pictured below) that sold for $97,212.54. On Sept. 19, Clark’s Panini Instant WNBA Draft Blue Viper 1/1 autograph card sold for $84,000.
The latest record came in a Dutch auction on Panini’s website that began at $100,000 and had a price drop every five minutes until the card was sold. It didn’t take long for that to happen. In addition to the 1/1 Blue Viper card, there were also seven other numbered variations of autographed and non-autographed versions of the Panini Instant card commemorating Clark being named WNBA Rookie of the Year on Thursday, with prices ranging from $250-$7,500. They all sold out in minutes.
The 1/1 Rookie of the Year card is now the second most expensive women’s sports card of all time behind a 2003 NetPro Serena Williams autographed patch card (featuring a piece of one of her match-worn tennis outfits in the card), which sold in 2022 for $266,400.
With prices continuing to rapidly rise for the existing mix of Clark’s college and print-to-order WNBA cards, it seems unlikely to slow down much as collectors continue to eagerly await Panini’s flagship WNBA trading cards sets for this season. The first of those 2024 WNBA sets will release on Oct. 16, when Panini puts out WNBA Origins, which will feature Clark rookie cards.
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(Top photo: Greg Fiume/Getty Images; Card image: Panini)
