Women’s basketball continues to rule the hobby world. Former LSU Tigers superstar Angel Reese has signed an exclusive multi-year deal with Panini America. The agreement grants Panini exclusive rights to produce autographed trading cards and memorabilia featuring the talented WNBA prospect.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Reese, who recently declared for the 2024 WNBA Draft and is expected to be a top-ten pick, is the latest addition to Panini’s impressive roster of exclusive athletes. Nicknamed “Bayou Barbie,” the 6-foot-3 phenom led the LSU Tigers to their first-ever NCAA women’s basketball title in 2023 and named the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament. Reese’s dominant performance throughout the season, leading her team in both scoring and rebounding, also earned her the SEC’s 2024 Player of the Year award.
A true game changer, on and off of the court 🏀👑
Honored to welcome the iconic @Reese10Angel to the Panini Exclusive Family!
Angel’s first Panini Cards will be available at 3:00 PM EST here: https://t.co/3XsYkmPG2a #WhoDoYouCollect pic.twitter.com/dWAA9AoHEv
— Panini America (@PaniniAmerica) April 10, 2024
“I’m excited to join Panini as an exclusive athlete for autograph trading cards and memorabilia,” says Reese in a statement. “As a little girl growing up you always dream of playing basketball and getting your first trading card — I can’t wait for fans everywhere to be able to start collecting my Panini cards.”
Panini America wasted no time in celebrating this new partnership, launching a special Panini Instant card commemorating the announcement, which will be available at 3 p.m. ET on its website. The base card costs $9.99, while the Versicolor numbered to /5 is $79.99 and the Black numbered to /1 is $139.99. Fans can expect to see Reese featured in a variety of Panini products, including her Panini Instant WNBA Draft Night trading card, which will be the first consumer product available. Additionally, Reese will be showcased in Panini’s collegiate and WNBA products, such as the WNBA Origins set, set to release in August, followed by WNBA Select Basketball and WNBA Prizm.
“Angel is an outstanding talent and an electric player, and we are excited to welcome her to the Panini family as an exclusive athlete,” says Jason Howarth, senior vice president of marketing and athlete relations for Panini America. “We look forward to offering her fans Angel’s trading cards and memorabilia.”
Reese cards have been a hot commodity in the hobby world. Autographed cards have been selling for hundreds of dollars. Reese’s most expensive card is her 2023-24 Bowman University Chrome Basketball SP Variation Superfractor Autograph 1/1 which sold for $1,500 on eBay in January, according to 130Point.com.
Last month, Panini inked former Iowa Hawkeyes superstar Caitlin Clark to an exclusive multi-year deal.