Paige Bueckers’ 1/1 Panini Auction Adds Heat to WNBA Cards
A High-Profile Dutch Auction for Bueckers
On Friday, August 22, at 3 p.m. ET, Panini launches one of its most anticipated WNBA cards of 2025: a Paige Bueckers Panini WNBA Instant Access 1/1 autograph, inscribed “1st All-Star Game.” The card starts at $15,000 in a Dutch auction, with the price dropping in intervals until purchased. Alongside the one-of-one, Panini is also releasing a /30 on-card autograph run, but the star of the drop is clearly the single Bueckers card tied to her rookie All-Star debut.
This auction follows Panini’s blockbuster “Rookie Royalty” release earlier this summer, which debuted at a record $30,000 per two-card box before selling out at its floor of $3,000. Featuring Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, that product marked the highest initial price point ever for women’s sports cards. While Bueckers’ $15K starting price isn’t a new record, it underscores Panini’s push to cement the WNBA in the high-end market.
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Paige Bueckers’ Rookie Impact
Drafted No. 1 overall by the Dallas Wings, Bueckers has lived up to the hype. Through 29 games, she’s averaging 19.7 points, 5.3 assists, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.7 steals. Her standout performance came on August 20th, when she scored 44 points on 17-of-21 shooting against the L.A. Sparks, a rookie record and the third-highest single-game total in the WNBA since 2020.
She’s been consistently productive too, with three or more assists in 21 straight games, while building on-court chemistry with star Arike Ogunbowale. Her All-Star debut, celebrated by this card, marks her as one of the faces of the WNBA’s future.
Bueckers vs. Caitlin Clark
Bueckers enters the hobby spotlight in an era defined by Caitlin Clark’s market dominance. Clark’s Flawless Logowoman 1/1 auto sold for $660,000, the highest ever for a women’s sports card, while her Select Gold Vinyl 1/1 fetched $234,850.
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Statistically, Clark is the league’s volume scorer and passer, averaging around 24 points and 7 assists per game, but she’s faced some injuries this season. Bueckers, at nearly 20 points per game, offers elite efficiency, midrange shot-making, and strong defense. Where Clark pushes pace and fireworks, Bueckers brings balance and control—two different flavors of stardom that now coexist in the hobby.
For collectors, the question is whether Bueckers’ cardboard can begin to carve into Clark’s territory. This Panini Instant 1/1 will be an early indicator.
The Hobby Context: WNBA Cards Keep Rising
Panini’s Rookie Royalty proved that collectors are willing to spend big on women’s basketball, with ultra-premium brands like National Treasures, Flawless, and Immaculate driving demand. While Bueckers’ Dutch auction won’t challenge Clark’s record prices, it signals a broadening market where multiple stars are fueling momentum.
Scarcity and story remain the drivers of hobby value. Clark’s record-setting sales showed the ceiling; Bueckers’ rookie All-Star inscription card demonstrates that collectors are ready to invest well beyond one generational star.
Lucas Mast is a writer based in California’s Bay Area, where he’s a season ticket holder for St. Mary’s basketball and a die-hard Stanford athletics fan. A lifelong collector of sneakers, sports cards, and pop culture, he also advises companies shaping the future of the hobby and sports. He’s driven by a curiosity about why people collect—and what those items reveal about the moments and memories that matter most.
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