Jonquel Jones Takes All-Star MVP in Front of a Record Chicago Crowd: The WNBA Card Market Reads the Room
Team Spoon beat Team Coop 129-122 before a record 19,783 fans at the United Center, and Jonquel Jones took MVP with 22 points, 13 rebounds, and 8 assists. Here is what a veteran's signature night means for a WNBA card market that just got fresh product on shelves.
A Record Night in Chicago
The 2026 WNBA All-Star Game delivered exactly what the league hoped for on Saturday night. Team Spoon beat Team Coop 129-122 at Chicago's United Center in front of 19,783 fans, a new attendance record for the event. It was the exclamation point on a weekend that felt less like a mid-season exhibition and more like a statement about where women's basketball, and its card market, is headed.
Jonquel Jones Takes MVP Honors
New York Liberty center Jonquel Jones walked away with the MVP trophy after stuffing the box score with 22 points, 13 rebounds, and 8 assists. It's the kind of all-around performance that reminds collectors why veteran stars shouldn't be ignored in a market that often chases rookies exclusively.
Jones has been one of the league's most decorated players for years, a former league MVP with championship pedigree, yet her card prices have historically lagged behind the attention paid to newer arrivals. An All-Star MVP on a record-crowd night is the sort of highlight that puts eyes back on her earliest cards, which remain scarce compared to the print runs of the modern WNBA era.
Clark, Mitchell, and the Broader Market
Caitlin Clark captained Team Spoon and finished with 17 points in a game where the story was the supporting cast. Kelsey Mitchell led all scorers with 28 for Team Coop, another data point in a career year that the market has been slow to price in.
For collectors, the timing matters. As we covered last week, 2026 Donruss WNBA just hit shelves with its three-hits-a-box format and the Downtown insert chase. All-Star weekend is historically one of the strongest demand windows of the WNBA calendar:
- Jonquel Jones: MVP hardware plus scarce early cards is a classic recipe for a repricing. Watch her flagship rookie-era cards this week.
- Kelsey Mitchell: A game-high 28 points on national TV extends a career year. She remains one of the most affordable All-Star starters in the hobby.
- Caitlin Clark: The market bellwether. Her cards didn't need Saturday, but a captaincy and a win keep the flywheel spinning.
The Takeaway
A record crowd, a veteran MVP, and a fresh licensed product on shelves at the same time. The WNBA card market has had manufactured moments before, but this weekend wasn't one of them. The demand is real, and it's showing up in attendance numbers and sales data alike.