CGC Cards Grades 1-of-1 Rookie Card of WNBA Star Sabrina Ionescu

Posted on 1/8/2025

The extremely rare rookie card was entrusted to CGC Cards experts and earned a grade of CGC Gem Mint 10, making it one of the most valuable cards of Ionescu's career to date.

WNBA collectibles have skyrocketed in popularity within the hobby in the last couple of years, with collectors flocking to cards of some of the most talented women in sports. One of the players with highly sought-after cards is New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu, and CGC Cards™ recently certified one of her rarest and most valuable rookie cards: a 2020 Panini Prizm WNBA #89 Sabrina Ionescu - Black.

The one-of-one gem was entrusted to CGC Cards experts and received the CGC grade of Gem Mint 10, making it even more valuable and desirable to collectors. This particular card was one of the biggest rookie card chases in WNBA history and was pulled by a collector in China. The submitter is now selling the card on eBay, which is listed with a Buy It Now price of $600,000, but they are also considering Best Offers.

Click images to enlarge.

Panini Prizm has become one of the most popular sets to release each year, especially the basketball series, since Panini has the official license to create sports cards for the NBA. As the popularity of the WNBA continued to increase in recent years, so has the league's collectibles. In 2020, Panini took notice and created the first-ever Panini Prizm WNBA set.

The debut Prizm WNBA series was only the second standalone set to ever release for the league following the first Donruss WNBA Basketball series that hit shelves in 2019. Following suit with other Prizm sets, the WNBA version also utilized chromium cardstock that has become synonymous with the series. It was also the first WNBA set to ever feature chromium cardstock across its checklist.

Chock full of All-Stars and rookies from the 2020 season, the 100-card base set showcased some of the WNBA's brightest talents, such as Sue Bird, Brittney Griner, Breanna Stewart, Candace Parker, A'ja Wilson and more. Of course, the rookie standout from the set was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 WNBA Draft: Sabrina Ionescu.

The Oregon Duck is one of the most celebrated collegiate athletes of all time, raking in every individual award imaginable during her time in Eugene. She's a three-time unanimous first-team All-American, won the John R. Wooden Award and the Wade Trophy twice each, was the consensus AP Player of the Year, is the Division I triple-doubles career leader and holds the all-time Pac-12 assists record.

The legendary college player has continued to add to her legacy in the pros. Currently playing in her fifth season in the WNBA, the 27-year-old guard is already one of the best shooters in the league, which has helped her become a three-time All-Star, three-time All-WNBA Second Team member, WNBA 3-point champion and WNBA Skills Challenge champion. Ionescu was also a vital part of the Liberty earning their first championship in franchise history in 2024.

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