Caitlin Clark (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)
A Caitlin Clark rookie card sold for a record-setting price, breaking the record that another rare card set two months ago.
Per ESPN’s Dan Hajducky, a 2024 Panini Select WNBA Signatures Gold Vinyl Caitlin Clark was purchased for $234,850, making it the most expensive WNBA card ever sold. Two months earlier, a Clark Panini Instant Rookie of the Year Blue Viper sold for $97,12, Hadjucky added.
The rookie card was graded a perfect 10 in mint condition and features Clark’s autograph:
“The sale demolished the previous record for WNBA and Clark cards, which was set in October when a Panini Instant Rookie of the Year Blue Viper Clark card (also numbered 1-of-1) sold for $97,212.
The Gold Vinyl Clark sale also marks the second-most-expensive women’s sports card ever sold; that record belongs to a 2003 NetPro Serena Williams rookie card, autographed with a piece of match-worn tennis outfit embedded, which sold for $266,400 in 2022.”
The rookie card was graded a perfect 10 in mint condition and features Clark’s autograph.
Clark declared for the 2024 WNBA Draft following an illustrious college career that saw her leave as the all-time scoring leader in NCAA Division I basketball. The 22-year-old was drafted first overall by the Indiana Fever, who finished 13-27 the year before.
Caitlin Clark immediately emerged as the new face of the WNBA, single-handedly causing a giant surge in ticket sales and television ratings league-wide. She led Indiana to a 20-20 season to end their eight-year postseason drought, but they were swept by the Connecticut Sun in the opening round.
After cruising to WNBA Rookie of the Year honors, Clark was also named Athlete of the Year by TIME.
Our Rookie of the Year and now TIME’s Athlete of the Year.
Take a bow, Caitlin Clark! ✨ pic.twitter.com/rAd6TxGa6X
— WNBA (@WNBA) December 10, 2024
Needless to say, the future is awfully bright for Clark’s Indiana Fever. And the WNBA is only going to see more and more increases in merchandise sales, ticket purchases and viewership from here on out.
Caitlin Clark Had An MVP-Like Rookie Season
The Iowa Hawkeyes product certainly didn’t need long to introduce herself to the league. Clark had a phenomenal rookie season, averaging 19.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and 8.4 assists per game while shooting 41.7 percent from the field.
Fortunately for Indiana, Clark hasn’t even hit her prime yet. The Fever will obviously spend ample time upgrading the supporting cast around her, and she’s only going to get better as a shooter and playmaker in the pros.
Phoenix Suns Shock Everybody By Sending Superstar Kevin Durant To NBA Heavyweight In Blockbuster Trade Proposal
Kevin Durant (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
A blockbuster trade proposal has the Phoenix Suns setting off fireworks across the NBA by dealing superstar Kevin Durant to a Western Conference juggernaut.
There’s no indication that the Suns are open to dealing Kevin Durant, or that the future Hall of Famer wants out. But the fact remains that Phoenix has one playoff series win in the KD era, and at 12-8 through 20 games, they don’t exactly resemble a championship contender.
If the Suns decide to shake up their All-Star core, Durant has to be the odd man out. Devin Booker isn’t going anywhere, and veteran guard Bradley Beal might have the most untradeable contract in the NBA.
Eddie Bitar of Fadeaway World proposed a mammoth trade idea that has Phoenix sending Kevin Durant back to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga, Gary Payton II, De’Anthony Melton and first-round picks in 2026 and 2029:
“The chemistry between Durant and Curry is unmatched, with the two feeding off each other’s strengths to devastate opposing defenses. If Durant’s time in Phoenix shows signs of stagnating, he could be motivated to initiate a trade to the Warriors—a team he knows will be ready to compete the moment he steps on the floor…
Most importantly, Durant’s departure could also allow Booker to further solidify his role as the franchise player, with Beal supporting him as an experienced scorer who has made the playoffs multiple times. The return for Durant would bring in a mix of young talent and future draft picks, potentially giving the Suns a balanced roster that can grow and adapt as Booker and Beal enter their prime. “