Caitlin Clark’s 2024 season was the stuff of legends, Rookie of the Year honors, record-shattering viewership, and a complete shift in the WNBA landscape. However, 2025 felt like a cruel cliffhanger for fans as nagging injuries kept her sidelined for much of the year, stalling what was expected to be a historic sophomore campaign. Now, as we move into 2026, the “Caitlin Clark Effect” is officially back in full force.
Her return to the court is finally locked in; she’ll be suiting up for Team USA during a high-profile five-game stretch in San Juan, Puerto Rico, from March 11 to 17. While the Americans have already punched their ticket to the 2026 World Cup in Berlin, these games serve as the ultimate “I’m back” statement for the most talked-about player in basketball.
Tom Brady Flaunts His Prized Caitlin Clark Signed Rookie Card
It turns out that even the greatest winner in NFL history is a fan of the Clark era. On February 27, seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady took to his Instagram story to show off a new centerpiece in his personal collection: a 2024 Panini Prizm authentic Caitlin Clark rookie card, complete with her signature.
Brady captioned the post, “New addition to my collection thanks @doni.nahmias,” proving that “His Airness” and the “GOAT” of the gridiron share a similar eye for legendary talent.
The post didn’t go unnoticed by Clark. On Friday evening, she re-shared Brady’s story to her own Instagram feed. Interestingly, she didn’t add a single word to the post-perhaps because when the undisputed greatest NFL player of all time shows off your autograph, there isn’t much left to say.
It was a “real recognize real” moment that set social media on fire, bridging the gap between two of the most influential icons in American sports history.
Caitlin Clark is Outpacing LeBron and Steph in the Collectibles World
The Brady endorsement is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Clark’s cultural gravity. According to data from USA Today Sports, Clark was the most-collected active basketball player of 2025, with a staggering 136,700 cards sent in for grading.
To put that in perspective, Clark held three of the ten most-graded cards of the entire year. Her volume was so massive that it actually eclipsed the combined totals of LeBron James (59,000), Stephen Curry (33,000), and Anthony Edwards (30,000).
In the world of “grading”-where experts assess a card’s condition on a scale of 1 to 10 to determine its market value-only one name in the basketball world stood above Clark in 2025: Michael Jordan.
The NBA’s GOAT saw 206,000 cards graded, but among active players, Clark is the undisputed queen of the hobby. For a 24-year-old to be outperforming the active legends of the NBA in market demand tells you everything you need to know about her trajectory heading into the 2026 season.
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