Paige Bueckers is Hot on the Court and in the Hobby
In this story:
Paige Bueckers, UCONN superstar and likely top overall draft pick in the upcoming 2025 WNBA Draft, has taken her game to the next level over the last two rounds of the Women's NCAA Basketball Tournament. In blowout wins against South Dakota State in the round of 32 and Oklahoma in the Sweet Sixteen, Bueckers put up 34 and 40 points respectively. 74 points in 64 minutes on the floor. Averaging 19.8 PPG over the season on 13.9 FGA, Bueckers has taken 48 shots over the last two games.
How good was Bueckers against Oklahoma? Hall of Fame Coach Geno Auriemma said of the All-American, "That was as good a game as I've seen her play the whole time she's been here, at the most important time."
RELATED: A Look at the Cards for the Top Prospects in the Women's Sweet Sixteen
Bueckers' cards have fared well through the course of the tournament. In fact, the top Bueckers sale ever, per Card Ladder, came on March 27, when a 2023/24 Bowman Chrome U Sapphire Superfractor On-Card Auto 1/1 sold on Ebay for $15,500. Almost $6,000 than the previous high, this is quite the testament, considering how big a star Bueckers has been throughout her time at UCONN. At writing, Card Ladder lists 938 Bueckers' sales since March 22 alone, when UCONN opened their tournament run with a 103-34 win over Arkansas State. 264 sales have been registered since March 30, the day after Bueckers' career-high 40-point effort in the Sweet Sixteen.
RELATED: JuJu Watkins’ Collectibles Market Up In The Air With Injury News
Buecker's Bowman Chrome University Big Kahuna Auto /150 sold three times on March 30, ranging from $915 - $1,226. Before this recent uptick, PSA 10 versions of this card had sold from $450 on July 25, 2024 to $799 on February 5, 2025.
RELATED: Caitlin Clark Sets Record for Highest Sale of a Women's Sports Card
Paige Bueckers 2023 Bowman University Chrome Orange Shimmer 1st Auto /25 sold for $2,499 last Saturday, the top-ever sale, per Card Ladder, of this card. At writing, another PSA 10 version of this card is up for auction at Goldin, with 37 bids received. The current high bid is at $1,281 with Buyer's Premium.
Former rivals Bueckers and Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark have appeared on dual auto Bowman offerings, as well as a triple auto card with Angel Reese. Bueckers and Clark's 2023 Bowman U Now Dual Auto /49 sold for $2,000 on March 30. A /25 of the card is currently listed for $4,899 on Ebay. Of course, Caitlin Clark is an absolute juggernaut in The Hobby, and these dual and triple offerings will be fascinating to monitor as Bueckers moves into the WNBA and the rivalry can be restarted.
In the run up to the tournament, Panini Instant released Bueckers cards celebrating UCONN's 70-50 Big East Tournament Championship win over Creighton. Tonight, Bueckers and UCONN take on USC in the Elite Eight. Sadly for fans and collectors, Bueckers will not be facing off in a high-stakes battle with USC superstar JuJu Watkins, who injured her knee in the second round, and is out for the season. However, Bueckers bringing the Huskies back to the Final Four, and leading UCONN to its first national title since 2016, would be the perfect launching pad for the next step in her career.
Michael Terry is a writer based in Brooklyn. He specializes in sports, culture, and collecting. His work has appeared at Topps RIPPED, ESPN, Grantland, Vice Sports, and more.
Follow michael_a_terry