Beyond Caitlin Clark: Taking a Closer Look at Paige Bueckers and Angel Reese Rookie Cards

Just yesterday, we learned that Sunday's NCAA Women's Basketball National Championship broke a record with 18.7 million viewers. At its peak, 24 millions viewers watched the game. It was the most watched basketball game in five years, professional or college, and men's or women's. The media frenzy surrounding Caitlin Clark's generational talent has brought new interest to the sport and women's sports cards. Just during the past week of the tournament, two Caitlin Clark cards likely sold for over $20,000 on eBay.

The 2024 NCAA Women's tournament has driven newfound interest in other players besides Clark, however. Let's take a look at two of Clark's biggest rivals and peers: Paige Bueckers and Angel Reese.

After Clark, there are few current college players who has won as many awards as "Paige Buckets." In high school she received the national high school player of the year honors, and then, during her freshman year at UConn, she became the first freshman to earn the Naismith Player of the Year Award after leading UConn to the 2021 Final Four. Despite missing much of the following two seasons due to injuries, Bueckers bounced right back in 2024 after leading UConn to the 2024 Final Four where she lost to Clark's Hawkeyes. She's returning to UConn next year.

Paige's superstardom is being recognized by the collectibles market. Buecker's rookie cards regularly sell for several hundred dollars on eBay and rookie cards autographed by Bueckers sell for two to three times as much. For example, let's take a look at an autographed 2023 Leaf Metal Paige Bueckers rookie card that recently sold on eBay for a whopping $1,399.99.

This sale is even more impressive considering that this card hadn't even been graded. Unsigned and ungraded copies of Buecker's 2023 Leaf Metal card sell for around $40 on eBay. Unsigned, but graded cards sell in the $90 to $180 range.

Autographed Angel Reese Rookie Cards Typically Sell in the $400 to $500 range.

Angel Reese is a two-time first-team All-American, received the 2023 NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player award, a 2023 NCAA Champion, and was named SEC Player of the Year in 2024. She's also famous for defeating Clark in the 2023 NCAA Championship Game. She might have defeated Clark a second time if she hadn't sprained her ankle during their rematch in the 2024 Elite Eight tournament game. Reese also knows how to make a splash declaring for the WNBA draft in Vogue magazine.

While Reese's cards are not commanding as much as Clark's Buecker's, a 2023-24 Bowman Best Angel Reese Superfractor card likely sold for over $3,000 on March 25th on eBay (the card was listed for $3,999, and the seller accepted a best offer for an undisclosed amount, but still likely greater than $3,000).

Other significant sales include the sale of an autographed (but ungraded) 2023-24 Bowman Chrome University Rookie Superfractor card that sold for $1,200 on eBay on March 30th. Autographed and ungraded copies of her 2023-24 Bowman Chrome Prospects card sell in the $400 to $500 range on eBay.

How do you feel about this surge of new interest in women's basketball has impacted the sports card market? Please let us know what your opinion is in the comments section below!