Hobby Musings: Panini Director of Product Development Lucas Kinser – The WNBA draft is in the books and UConn star Paige Bueckers has a new home with the Dallas Wings. Leading another talented rookie class, Bueckers and her peers will have a lot to live up to in the card world following a stellar 2024 class that featured Caitlin Clark, Cameron Brink, and Angel Reese. Panini will once again look to meet the demand of hobbyists eager for new cards to add to their collections. I had the chance to catch up with Director of Product Development Lucas Kinser to find out what Panini has planned for this year’s WNBA cards.
KS: Lucas, Paige Bueckers went No. 1 as expected in the WNBA draft. In the time between the draft and now, what has been collector response to going first overall to Dallas?
LK: Collectors have been very excited to say the least. The Wings hosted a draft party at College Park Center where they play and had Paige jerseys and merchandise readily available. The local Dick’s Sporting Goods stores also had jerseys ready on hand for after the pick was selected. So there is some buzz going around the city. It’s also reflected in the secondary market ticket prices for Wings games this year, which have been very strong.
KS: How would you compare the response for her to Caitlin Clark’s initial response last year?
LK: The hype around Caitlin was truly once-in-a-generation, but Paige is having a big response as well. We’re seeing strong early numbers on her Instant draft night cards as well as very strong interest in 2025 WNBA product with her as the rookie to anchor the class.
KS: The big question on everyone’s mind is, when are we going to see her and the rest of the rookie class in their WNBA uniforms in card products this season?
LK: While we are planning to have our first WNBA release out much sooner this year than in years past, we still plan on in-uniform photography for all the rookies, barring any unforeseen circumstances. Media day images are more likely for the early images with game action soon to follow.
KS: Overall, which player do you think ended up in the best market for their cards?
LK: Aside from Paige, Hailey Van Lith landed in a great spot with Chicago alongside Angel Reese and should draw a lot of national interest on the franchise and her as well. Also, Sarah Ashlee Barker going to LA to play alongside Brink, Jackson and Plum should add to the collectability of all four athletes.
KS: Who’s an under-the-radar player collectors should be keeping an eye out for in this year’s rookie class?
LK: Georgia Amoore, Kiki Iriafen and Aneesah Morrow all have a great chance to see the court early and get a lot of notability where they were drafted.
KS: We’re in the second season for last year’s rookie class that included Clark, Cameron Brink and Angel Reese. How would you say demand for that class is going now compared to when their rookie season products came out?
LK: I think the expectation is comparable overall for this year’s rookie class because of how deep it is overall. With their play, collectability, branding, the bar is definitely being raised more and more with each successive class.
KS: Last year’s rookie class was an important one for WNBA cards. Overall, what kind of growth has Panini seen in WNBA cards and collectibles over the past year?
LK: The demand is definitely still there going into the 2025 rookie class. Especially with some of the new programs we’ve got slated for 2025, we feel strongly that the demand will continue for these players moving forward in both pack-pulled rookies, as well as on the Instant side.
KS: Overall, who would you say are the top 3 most in-demand players in WNBA cards now?
LK: Caitlin Clark leads the pack for sure, with the upcoming 2025 rookies for Paige Bueckers projecting at second. The third spot is a lot closer, with players like A’ja Wilson, Cameron Brink and Angel Reese in the running.
KS: Are there any new products and features WNBA collectors should be looking out for this year?
LK: We’re going to introduce three new programs for 2025. First will be the re-introduction of WNBA Donruss as our debut release for 2025. It will feature the first Rated Rookies of all the top incoming stars, as well as iconic Next Day Autographs and SSP’d Downtown inserts. We’ll also have the first high-end Panini WNBA release in WNBA Impeccable with a variety of on-card autographs, special Impeccable Numbers cards and all the other unique content that has made Impeccable a can’t-miss brand. Rounding out the new programs is one that I am very excited about – WNBA One and One. Kabooms, Spotlight Signatures, Sneaker Spotlight Signatures. All things that we feel collectors will gravitate toward. And our team will continue to look for other ways to get the best WNBA cards in collector’s hands. Don’t be surprised to see another high-end release added when 2026 comes around.
KS: I’m going to ask you to put your way-too-early hat on. The women’s college basketball season ended recently. Who are some prospects for next season collectors should have an early eye on?
LK: Some players to keep an eye on for 2026 are Azzi Fudd (Connecticut), Olivia Miles (TCU), Lauren Betts (UCLA), Kiki Rice (UCLA) and Flau’jae Johnson (LSU) just to name a few. It’s shaping up to be another strong class for the W.
Hobby Musings: Panini Director of Product Development Lucas Kinser
Kelsey’s ability to bring hobby coverage to the mainstream sports fan has been a true asset. GTS is happy to feature his thoughts on collecting in Hobby Musings. The opinions expressed are his and do not necessarily reflect those of GTS Distribution.
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