Who run the world? Well, Serena Williams, Amanda Nunes, and Diana Taurasi, to name a few.
As the world celebrates International Women’s Day, there’s no better time to take a necessary step back to regale in the larger-than-life female athletes who make our sports what they are. From Naomi Osaka to Claressa Shields to Simone Biles, there’s nothing like an all-world superstar ripping through the competition like we’ve never seen before and setting the very best kind of example for kids, and particularly young girls, who would dare to dream just as big.
Right on cue, that got us thinking: with the sports trading card market skyrocketing to unprecedented heights, what are the ultimate additions to the collection of a discerning hobbyist who wants to celebrate the very best woman athletes on planet earth? It’s time to go wild for these three must-haves.
Amanda Nunes
2016 Topps Now UFC
On Saturday night at UFC 259, Amanda Nunes yet again proved why she’s not simply the greatest fighter in women’s MMA history, but truly one of the baddest operators in all of combat sports, period. She needed barely two minutes in the very first round to submit Megan Anderson in yet another title defense, and this card fondly harkens back to the moment that first elevated her to legend status.
At UFC 207 in 2016, she pummeled former bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey with a blistering striking display, leaving no doubt about who was the queen of the women’s fight game. Topps ran 214 copies of this card commemorating that massive night in Vegas; given that cards featuring the Lioness are routinely selling online for upwards of $1,000 apiece, the time to add her to your collection is now.
Diana Taurasi
2004 Fleer Ultra WNBA
There’s only one Diana Taurasi! In the annals of WNBA rookie cards, few are more celebrated than this 2004 Fleer offering depicting the eventual nine-time All-Star and three-time WNBA champion. Decked out for the first time in the Phoenix Mercury jersey she’d go on to make wildly famous, this one’s a short print, and it’s the only Taurasi WNBA rookie card out there. Any true fan of the “White Mamba” needs to get their hands on this piece of women’s basketball history.
Serena Williams
2008 Topps Allen & Ginter
Dominance, thy name is Serena. Recent months have seen the market for tennis trading cards explode from relative obscurity to instant prominence — and is there any figure in the game as iconic as Venus’ little sister? Indeed, those 23 grand slam singles titles speak for themselves, but this special little reminder courtesy of Topps’ throwback-style Allen & Ginter series are the ideal reminder of the timelessness of Williams’ greatness.
Only 190 of these cards were printed, and Allen & Ginter’s art style perfectly accentuates the signature like few can. Don’t let anyone tell you that baseball cards have a monopoly on old-school charm.
