Nearly $65,000 for a jersey. That’s the amount a jersey that was worn by Paige Bueckers during her highly anticipated WNBA debut on May 16, 2025, recently fetched at an auction through MeiGray. Authenticated immediately after the game and photo-matched, the jersey has become one of the most valuable pieces of WNBA memorabilia ever sold. More than anything, it’s a quick nod about how rapidly women’s basketball is growing. But ironically, the person most stunned by the price tag is Bueckers herself!

“That’s insane to me, just thinking about it. That much money is insane to me,” Paige Bueckers said. “I’m just feeling very grateful and feeling very blessed that people are that invested in women’s sports. You can see the rise in popularity, the growth in respect… I wouldn’t even pay $10 for my own jersey.”

Jokes aside, while she might not think her jersey is worth more than $10, someone did, and in that process ended up shattering a record altogether.

The previous record for a WNBA jersey was held by A’ja Wilson for a jersey she wore in Games 1 and 2 of the ’25 WNBA Finals at $32,150. In just a matter of six months, Bueckers’ debut jersey effectively doubled that record. However, for Bueckers, the valuation is less about the personal recognition and more about what it says about the state of women’s basketball now. 

Growing up in Minnesota, she still remembers a time when watching the game too wasn’t as accessible as it is today. 

“I was just a little kid growing up watching the Minnesota Lynx, and I didn’t get to watch them on national television,” Bueckers reflected. “If I wanted to go see them play, I would have to go to a game. Not everybody that is fortunate has that ability to do that. So just to be a part of the rise right now, we’re just extremely grateful for it.”

But this might just be the start. MeiGray president Barry Meisel noted that this is part of a bigger shift. According to him, the demand for authenticated game-worn items in women’s sports is no longer speculative.

“We’re seeing, across women’s sports, an appetite for game-worn women’s relics,” Meisel said, as per ESPN. “The interest is robust, it’s growing, and it’s not speculative anymore.”

As per Sports Collectors Daily, the most expensive fee ever recorded for women’s sports memorabilia is believed to be $125,000. This was paid for Billie Jean King’s game-used racket from the 1973 “Battle of the Sexes” at an auction held in New York in 2017.

The jersey sale definitely marked a milestone off the court that will take a while to be broken. But right now, Bueckers’ focus remains firmly on the present, where she has the responsibility of taking her team to the championship.

Paige Bueckers is putting the Dallas Wings in championship contention

The 2025 season was one of the worst for the Wings, as they finished it with 34 losses. However, in the 2026 season, which is still in its early stages, they are looking like one of the most improved teams.

A major credit for their newfound confidence goes to their draft pick, Azzi Fudd. With her on the team, the Wings now have a dangerous duo that has been building chemistry since their college days.

While Fudd’s start has been a little slower than expected, she recently scored 22 points to help lead the Wings past the Las Vegas Aces after putting up a season-high 24 points against the Liberty in the previous game. So there is no doubt that she will find her footing in the professional league soon.

But what’s worth noting is that Dallas is leaning heavily on Bueckers as their primary playmaker, and so far, she has continued to produce at an elite level. The 24-year-old is currently averaging 19.4 points per game and has led her team to 5 wins in 8 games.

Even when the odds were stacked against the Wings, she found ways to dominate. Take the game against the defending champion New York Liberty, for example. This game was predicted to be 74.2% in favor of New York, but Bueckers dropped 24 points and led her team to a 91-76 win.

While Dallas’ success has been a collective effort, Paige Bueckers has remained the engine behind much of it.

But the season is far from over. So, for now, Bueckers probably isn’t thinking much about jerseys or auction records. Dallas is off to one of its best starts in years, and with expectations continuing to rise around the team, there is plenty of basketball left to focus on.