Sabrina Ionescu 1 of 1 Prizm Rookie Card Should Break Records
Before Caitlin Clark took over the sports media cycle in 2023 and 2024, Sabrina Ionescu was making her mark on the sports world. During her senior season at Oregon, she became the first NCAA player ever to achieve 2,000 points, 1,000 assists, and 1,000 rebounds in a career. She was then drafted first overall by the New York Liberty and won the WNBA championship this past season. She is also a Nike athlete, and her signature shoe is one of the most popular among Nike athletes.
NYC, THIS IS FOR YOU!!!!đź—˝
— New York Liberty (@nyliberty) October 21, 2024
YOUR 2024 WNBA CHAMPIONS🏆
WE ALL WE GOT, WE ALL WE NEED💯🗣️ pic.twitter.com/mjYZW9jZv5
Her impact on the WNBA has been somewhat overshadowed by Clark in recent seasons, but if it hadn’t been for an injury in her rookie season, Ionescu could be just as popular as Clark.
Caitlin Clark's real impact on the sports card market
Ionescu’s rookie year also marked the return of WNBA cards to the mainstream sports card market. In 2020, Panini released its first-ever WNBA Prizm product. Ionescu’s 1-of-1 card from this product has been listed on eBay for $600,000.
Sabrina Ionescu Black 1/1 Rookie Card has popped up on eBay...in a CGC slab no less.
— WNBAcards.com (@wnbacardscom) December 30, 2024
With the recent Caitlin Clark sales, it looks like the owner is ready to try and cash in!
This is one of the most sought after WNBA cards in the modern era - what would you pay for it? pic.twitter.com/DcAmnRznOe
A sale of that magnitude would make it the most expensive WNBA card of all time and one of the most expensive women’s sports cards in history. It’s probably no surprise that Clark is currently dominating the sports card market, with her sales accounting for the top five WNBA card sales.
Caitlin Clark Signs Exclusive Multi-Year Deal With Panini America
Ionescu is no stranger to high card prices. Before Clark emerged, she was one of the leaders in terms of sports card value.
We’ve entered a new era in this market. Before the 2020 Prizm set, there were only the 2018 Rittenhouse WNBA set and the 2019 Donruss WNBA set—essentially the extent of modern women’s basketball cards. Players like A’ja Wilson, the best player in the WNBA, were drafted in 2018 but didn’t get their first card until the 2019 Donruss set.
![2019 Panini Donruss WNBA - [Base] #9 - A'ja Wilson](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images%2FvoltaxMediaLibrary%2Fmmsport%2Fsi_collects%2F01jgd7qq9b2431sk0h2v.jpg "2019 Panini Donruss WNBA - [Base] #9 - A'ja Wilson")
There has been an increase in WNBA products in recent years. While we’re still waiting for Prizm to be released this year which is slated for January of 2025. 2023 saw the addition of Origins Basketball, and this year, for the first time, WNBA Select was introduced. For reference, the popularity of WNBA Prizm is expected to be massive—almost all of Caitlin Clark’s 1-of-1 cards have sold for over five figures, with some even reaching six figures.
Adam has been a sports content creator since 2016, initially focusing on creating sports-related graphics for his Instagram page. In 2018, he transitioned to writing and podcasting about sports cards. Since then, he has worked both independently and with companies within the industry, producing podcasts, videos, and written content on sports cards.