Serena Williams’ dominance in tennis has been unparalleled. The 23-time slam queen ruled the court for over two decades before hanging up her racket three years ago. Apart from earning on-court milestones, the 43-year-old also emerged as one of the most iconic athletes in the world, especially when it comes to sports-based collectibles on a global level. So much so, that a 2003 rookie card of ReRe went on to become the most valued trading card in women’s sports, back in 2022. Since then, however, several new faces have emerged as future stars in women’s sports. WNBA’s Caitlin Clark is undoubtedly one of them. Even Serena’s husband Alexis Ohanian has now acknowledged her unmatched, growing popularity!

Ohanian has been a huge admirer of Clark, the point guard for Indiana Fever in the WNBA. In fact, he previously called her a driving force for women’s basketball back in March. Reason? As it turns out, Clark’s presence skyrocketed the viewership for March Madness women’s game. Eventually, 2024 women’s final NCAA match beat the numbers in comparison to men’s game in terms of eyeballs. While the women’s game amassed 18.9 million views, men’s encounter peaked at 14.8 million. Ohanian later reacted to this stat by reposting his own posts from 2022 about the 23-year-old player.

In a post from March 16, Ohanian wrote, “She’s a HUGE part of it, but the story was in the data years ago — free market of attention (IG) already delivered a verdict showing women crushed the men on followers” Looks like she’s in fact the one and only at the moment. Especially when it comes to generating unprecedented hype among sports memorabilia enthusiasts. Apart from swaying with her on-court skills, Clark has also emerged as the most sought-after female basketball player for trading card collectors. Hence, it’s no surprise to know that she currently holds the title for world’s most valued trading card in women’s sports. And you know who she bested to earn this accomplishment? Yes, it’s none other than Ohanian’s wife and former WTA legend Serena Williams.

Back in May 2022, Williams’ “2003 NetPro International Series Apparel Autograph Serena Williams #2A” card sold for a whopping $266,400. That time, it became the most valued card for a female athlete in history. But three years later, in March this year, Clark’s “2024 Panini Prizm WNBA Signatures Gold Vinyl Signed Rookie Card” ended up selling for $366,000. With that, Clark also broke her own record from last December. Her “Panini Select WNBA gold vinyl card” previously sold for $234,850, as reported by Athlon Sports on March 30, 2025.

But now it seems another rookie card of Clark has the potential to create history, according to Ohanian. Being a hardcore collector himself, he’s even invested in the company ALT (a marketplace for collectibles and trading cards). In an IG clip posted on his account, on May 17, the former Reddit co-founder revealed he’s finally got the “one and only 2024 Panini Prizm WNBA number 145, also known as the Caitlin Clark Gold Vinyl Prizm one of one.” But what’s so special about it?

Ohanian explained, “This is arguably the second most important Caitlin Clark rookie card in existence and the best to be auctioned. Caitlin is a record breaking in terms of women’s cards.”

He knows that Clark is the one who dethroned his wife, months ago, from the number one spot for the most valuable trading card in women’s sports. But hey, Ohanian’s a sports lover first, and a husband later. He had nothing but praise for the young basketball sensation. “Yes, she did unseat my wife, Serena, and has continued to break her own record sales. This card shows just how much women’s sports has grown. Like I’ve been telling y’ll for the last five years, and the hype of Caitlin Clark is trickling into every aspect of social life, including alternative assets.”

Moreover, he ended up making a bold prediction for the latest Caitlin Clark trading card. It’s up for auction on ALT and, as of this report, the highest bid it’s attracted has already reached close to $100,000! To be precise, the number is $96,399. Who knows at what figure it will end eventually? But Ohanian knows that this “particular card has the potential to become that iconic card of an era. Think ’52 Mantle for vintage baseball or ’86 Jordan.” Speaking of the latter, NBA legend Michael Jordan‘s 1986 rookie card turned out to be one of the most iconic collectibles featuring him. In January 2021, it sold for a whopping $720,000, as reported by Public website last month.

Ohanian reiterated his excitement about Clark’s card. “I can’t wait to see where it ends.” Will it create another sales record? Only time will time tell, but interestingly there’s something else Clark has been able to create and establish. An intriguing connection with Ohanian’s better half Serena Williams! Really? But how?

When Caitlin Clark and Serena Williams crossed paths on the same stage

For the uninitiated, Caitlin Clark is a huge fan of Serena Williams. And her admiration for the tennis icon grew after the 23-time slam queen came forward in her support. Last year, the WNBA star was facing backlash on social media. She chose to distance herself away from online exposure to prevent herself from facing negative reactions. When Williams was asked to comment on her situation, she simply said, “I just love that she tried to stay grounded and that she doesn’t look at her social (media); I get it. I don’t either. And I think it’s so important to continue doing what she’s doing.” reported Olympics website in June 2024.

She continued, “No matter what other people do, if people are negative then it’s because they can’t do what you do. Hopefully, she’ll continue to do what she’s doing.”

Fast forward to 2025, and Clark mentioned Serena as her favorite person to go on a dinner with. In a viral clip on X, she was seen answering some interesting questions. When asked, “If you could have dinner with any celebrity, who would it be?”, she simply replied, “Ooo good question. Serena Williams”.

When Williams’ husband Ohanian spotted this video, he didn’t take long in sending Clark an actual invitation. Sharing a response to the WNBA star, he wrote, “C’mon now @CaitlinClark22 there’s an open invitation at our home!” And guess what? The two sports stars ended up meeting each other at the same event earlier this year!

Ohanian shared an update on his Instagram in late March. He and Williams were invited to the NFL Annual Meeting in Florida’s Palm Beach. They were there for a panel discussion on “THE CHANGING FACE OF SPORTS AND ITS IMPACT ON THE NFL”. Apart from the ex-WTA legend, however, this event also saw Caitlin Clark making a surprise appearance. She and Serena were seen sitting next to each other.

While posting a picture with Clark, Ohanian later wrote on social media, “Finally met the one and only @caitlinclark22 IRL (impressive young woman off the court as well)!” Undoubtedly he was happy to see that after a long wait his wife and the basketball star finally crossed paths. What are your thoughts on this unique crossover? Let us know in the comments below.