The WNBA’s “Others”
In a shortsighted move, the powers that be left Caitlin Clark off the USWNT Olympic roster. This instantly made millions of collectors realize that there are players in the WNBA other than Clark. Novel idea. With the USWNT looking elsewhere, it’s as good a time for collectors to do the same. So this week, I’m looking at the hobby prospects of the non-Clark WNBA players.
The OGs
Any time someone shows off a modern purchase online, some yahoo will chime in with “buy vintage” and then go on a rant about Kevin Maas. Even though that dude is our modern-day “play Freebird” guy, buying vintage is fun. Lisa Leslie, Sheryl Swoopes, Cynthia Cooper, Diana Taurasi, and a bevy of other players helped keep the WNBA afloat and aided in the development of the women’s game. Their key cards aren’t exactly cheap and I’m betting some folks who are banking on the league gaining popularity are stocking up on cards like Taurasi’s 2004 Fleer Ultra RC which has sold for over $300 in PSA 6 grade.
If the league takes off in popularity, these players could see their cards skyrocket. OTOH, there is no guarantee that Clark’s popularity will cause collectors to look at the league’s history. In fact, I’m not sure I can think of an example of that ever happening in the hobby. Regardless, this group of players are all crucial to the history of the game and are worth picking up for any WNBA fan.
Bigs
One thing that becomes apparent if you look through the list of WNBA MVPs is that the league is dominated by bigs. Almost all of the league’s MVPs have been forwards or centers. I think this is an underlooked reason for the WNBA’s lack of mainstream popularity. A large part of the appeal of Clark is that she represents a more exciting (to consumers) style of play. We’ve got decades of data showing that the hobby hates bigs in the men’s game. I worry that that might hinder a few of these players too, but they are certainly among the biggest names in the league today.
A'Ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, and Jonquel Jones headline a crop of bigs as deep as the NBA’s Davis, Giannis, Embiid, and Jokic. Wilson is arguably the best woman basketball player alive but she’s got a lack of rookies due to the WNBA not having cards made yearly. She’s only got a very rare Rittenhouse card from 2018 (including auto versions) and a 2016 SI for Kids card. That helps explain why Wilson has had less than 1,000 cards sell in the last three months compared to 26,000+ for Clark. Still, the only logicial conclusion is that Wilson (and the rest) have a LONG way to go to reach Clark in terms of hobby love.
Guards
Diana Taurasi is likely the most popular player the league has had before Clark arrived. I don’t think it is any coincidence that she was a guard that was capable of producing some flashy highlights to go along with her stats. Kids can emulate guards on the playground easily and I’ve always felt that translates to marketability. The WNBA is currently full of capable bigs which makes stellar guard play stand out even more.
Sabrina Ionescu basically was Caitlin Clark a few years ago and the sharpshooter is still popular in the hobby. Her cards sell briskly but what stuck out to me was the high volume of $1 and $2 cards being sold which I think can be explained by lots of people coming into the hobby for the first time and making their initial purchases.
Wrap Up
A rising tide floats all boats and all that, so instead of buying a Caitlin Clark mega-yacht, why not check out one of the dinghies that are already producing big numbers in the WNBA? Let me know what player you are most excited about in the comments below.