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It’s no secret that Sabrina Ionescu has been the biggest chase card since WNBA Prizm cards debuted in 2020. And the start of the season set her cards on fire, with prices doubling for her Prim rookie cards doubling, and at one point tripling, in price from early 2021.
With a game-winner and a triple-double to start the season, the Sabrina hype was real. While her prices have cooled off over the past few weeks, there are several other player’s who have seen their rookie cards take on in price.
It’s important for new WNBA card collectors (and old ones alike) to not fall in love with the same great players that everyone else knows. This is why you should look at other players around the W who are carrying their teams to early season success.
To get you started, here are three WNBA cards that you should be looking to add to your collection or investment portfolio before their prices go the way of Maya and Stewie!
1. 2016 Jonquel Jones Rittenhouse WNBA RC
In just one month the card has nearly quadrupled in value from a $56 eBay sale just a month ago with the latest sale going for $200. Her cards are absolutely red hot and as a favorite for MVP, should eventually command prices close to the top tier – especially since there are only 500 cards of her’s available. The only concerns I have with this card are that she’s taking nearly a month off for the FIBA European women’s basketball championship so she might fall off the radar and the Connecticut Sun aren’t a popular team. However, if Bosnia and Herzegovina advances to the Olympics, Jones will have a chance to make a bigger name for herself.
2. 2013 Skylar Diggins-Smith Fleer Retro or Upper Deck
Diggins-Smith is a great card to collect because there are several rookie autos and low-numbered cards of hers that exist in the Fleer Retro and Upper Deck sets including PMG, Exquisite, Rookie Sensations and so much more. For whatever reason, the Phoenix Mercury guard has the best non-Prizm rookie cards in the WNBA. While some of her cards have certainly gone up in value, there are so many variations that it’s difficult to discern which case cards are best. Regardless, Diggins-Smith has taken over as the heart and soul of the Mercury ever since Diana Taurasi went down with a sternum injury. Even when Taurasi returns, expect the Notre Dame graduate to take much of the scoring load. With Taurasi’s days waning, the Mercury are going to make every effort to win a championship and Diggins-Smith should be a large part of that.
3. 2015 Jewell Loyd Rittenhouse WNBA RC
Going with another Notre Dame alum, Loyd has a base rookie and rookie auto that are both worth collecting. Surprisingly, her base rookie is actually more rare and has an eBay comp of around $300, while her auto trails by around $200. Although her card values have increased in the last month, her cards still have tremendous potential to go up the rest of the season. With the departures of Natasha Howard, Alysha Clark and Sami Whitcomb, Loyd has admirably filled a 1B role for the Seattle Storm and is keeping them in the championship hunt once again. Loyd’s cards are on the rise so if you’re looking at acquiring her cards, now is the time to do it.
WNBA cards took off this off-season and as the women’s game continues to grow, the hunt for these extremely scarce cards will only continue to rise. If I’m looking to invest in women’s basketball cards, these three have the most potential to grow.