A Pleasant WNBA Surprise

Today I was looking forward to the Seattle Sounders-Tottenham Hotspur game but during halftime I switched over to the WNBA All-Star game and got sucked in and ended up recording the second half of the Sounders game so I could watch the basketball game.

 

I rarely watch WNBA games, occasionally catching a Seattle Storm or Phoenix Mercury game from time to time, but this game was just captivating.  It went back and forth before going in to overtime and an East win 125-124. What made this game so interesting was the way that second-year star Skylar Diggins and rookie Shoni Schimmel took over when it came down to crunch time, something LeBron James should watch. Schimmel put on a shooting clinic and won the All-Star MVP Award.

 

Skylar Diggins has been a star since her Notre Dame years and is quite well known whereas Schimmel, who was the #8 pick in April’s 2014 WNBA Draft, doesn’t even start on her own team.

 

When it comes to WNBA cards collectors have one option, Rittenhouse. They have the WNBA license and they only release one set a year, which is very limited and sold as a complete set.

Skylar Diggins has plenty of options though, in addition to her 2013 Rittenhouse rookie card Upper Deck has included Diggins on a number of checklists include 2013-14 Fleer Retro, 2013-14 SP Authentic, 2013-14 UD Black and 2014 Goodwin Champions. Her 2013 Rittenhouse rookie will set you back $15 (or more) and her autographs range depending on availability with some in the $8-10 range while others are hitting the $100+ range.

 

If you are a Showtime Schimmel fan you are out of luck, at least for now, her rookie card will not be available until the 2014 Rittenhouse WNBA set is released in two weeks. This will be the first time she appears on cardboard and with her play at the All-Star game there is a good chance that prices will be in the same range as Diggin’s 2013 rookie card.