Caitlin Clark autographed NIL trading card sells for $78,000 at auction
Caitlin Clark mania has stretched to another record-breaking level.
According to collectible experts, a Bowman U NIL trading card featuring the All-America Iowa star shattered the record for the most expensive women’s basketball card sold at auction.
Extended bidding for the one-of-a-kind Superfractor Auto card with a gold foil finish ended late Thursday night and peaked at $78,000 on PWCC Marketplace – one of the largest trading card marketplaces in the world. Collectible experts told On3 the previous record for a women’s basketball trading card was held by former Oregon Ducks standout and current New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu at $11,500.
The sale also finished as the second-highest-ever total for a women’s trading card only behind a NetPro trading card of women’s tennis GOAT Serena Williams that sold for $266,400 in 2022. On the way to the $78,000 mark, Clark passed soccer great Mia Hamm and tennis star Naomi Osaka on the all-time list for most expensive women’s trading cards.
Interest in Caitlin Clark card ‘isn’t a surprise’
Caitlin Clark is one of the most transcendent basketball players of our generation – both on and off the court.
As a sophomore, Clark was a unanimous first-team All-American. She became the first women’s player to lead Division I in points and assists in a single season. Last season, she won all major national player of the year awards. She also led Iowa to its first national championship game. Earlier this season, she became Iowa’s all-time leading scorer.
Clark signed the NIL deal with trading card giant Topps – which owns and produces Bowman cards – in June 2022. At the time, Clark became one of the first women’s stars to have an officially licensed trading card. She is represented in NIL dealings by Excel Sports Management.
“Grew up collecting trading cards. Now Topps and I have partnered to officially create my own,” Clark tweeted when she announced the deal. “Could not be more grateful and excited.”
Hawkeye Report publisher Tom Kakert has covered Iowa athletics for more than 20 years. He said he’s never seen anything like Clark as a player and as a star off the court.
“The interest isn’t a surprise to me at all,” Kakert said. “Everything Caitlin Clark touches from a product standpoint turns to gold and generates a ton of excitement.”
Kakert’s right. The record-breaking card sale only further cements her status as one of the stars of the NIL Era. Along with the Topps deal, she has a lengthy resume of NIL success.
She recently released Caitlin’s Crunch Time with Midwest grocery giant Hy-Vee through a longtime NIL partnership. She also has deals with Gatorade, State Farm, Buick, Nike and H&R Block. The partnership with State Farm marked the first time a college athlete signed with the insurance company. Plus, the relationship with Gatorade and Nike are viewed as long-term plays for when she arrives in the WNBA.
“Basically, every home and road game sells out because of her,” Kakert said. “She is one of the most marketable athletes in the country, pro or college.”
With a long list of deals and more than 1.1 million followers on social media, Clark has an On3 NIL Valuation of $818,000. That ranks No. 37 in the On3 NIL 100. Her valuation is a combination of her roster value and personal NIL. The mark is one of the highest in women’s basketball because of her personal success as an NIL brand.