- It has been a record-setting year for the Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark, both on and off the basketball court.
- The former Iowa star has set records for rookie assists and three-pointers, then broke the overall single-season assist record, en route to being the unanimous Rookie of the Year.
- In addition to fueling attendance records for the WNBA, a Caitlin Clark rookie card has been sold for $84,000, which is a record for women’s basketball.
It has been an outstanding year for Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever. She has made a massive impact on the WNBA, both on the court, and perhaps more importantly, on the court. It started at the WNBA draft, where the league set viewership records. Much of that is down to Clark, who went first to the Fever.
Clark’s WNBA debut brought in record betting numbers, and then she brought it on the court, leading the Fever to their first playoff appearance since 2016. Now, The Athletic reports that a Caitlin Clark rookie card has been sold for $84,000. This is a record for a women’s basketball card.
Rookie-Card Sale Another in a Long Line of Records for Clark
The card in question was a Panini Instant card that was autographed by Clark at the WNBA draft.
The Athletic report also revealed that the previous record-holder was, of course, Clark. A Bowman University card autographed by Clark went for $78,000. In fact, the only female athlete to have a card sell for a higher amount is Serena Williams. An autographed card featuring the tennis legend, and a patch from a match-worn outfit, sold for $266,400 in 2022.
It’s just another record for Clark, who made history with the first rookie triple-double in WNBA history. Clark set the mark for single-game assists with 19, while setting records for rookie assists, and overall assists. Along with fellow rookie Angel Reese, Clark has been running through the WNBA record book. She also has 30 games of 15+ rebounds and 5+ assists, which is by far the most for a WNBA season. She set that record back in August.
Clark was named the unanimous Rookie of the Year, and even finished fourth in the MVP voting, which was unanimously won by A’ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces.
What is Next for Clark?
While much was made about Clark missing out on the US Olympic team, you could argue it was the best thing for her. Clark had been busy from the beginning of her senior season at Iowa, and the Olympic break allowed her to recharge. She was fantastic down the stretch in leading the Fever to their first playoff berth since 2016.
Clark finished second in minutes played (35.4), seventh in points (19.2), first in assists (8.4), and her 5.7 rebounds led all guards in that category. She also led the league in turnovers (5.6), but those will come down as she gets more comfortable with the league.
The Fever lost their first playoff game, falling 93-69 to Connecticut on the road. It was a tough playoff debut for Clark, who had 11 points and eight assists. However, she shot 4-of-17 from the field, including 2-of-13 from three-point land. The Fever are in tough against a well-experienced Connecticut team, led by DeWanna Bonner and Alyssa Thomas, who had her fourth playoff triple-double in the game.
Indiana will be in tough to overcome the experienced Sun, but if Clark and company get hot, things can change in a hurry. But between record-selling rookie cards and assists records falling, Clark has already had a massive season. You’ll see her near the top of MVP odds at WNBA betting sites next season.
