2025-26 Basketball Cards at a Glance: Dates, Checklists, and What Matters

Collectors have a full slate this season across NBA, WNBA, and college products, with options for every budget. The landscape shifted in a big way, so here is a clean snapshot of what to expect and when to expect it.

Topps now holds the exclusive NBA license starting with the 2025-26 cycle and continuing forward. That exclusivity covers team names and logos on NBA cards. Other companies can still make player focused products through the NBA Players Association, but they cannot show official team marks. Player autograph deals also shape checklists. Victor Wembanyama’s exclusive autograph arrangement with Fanatics limited where licensed signatures appeared until this year. Luka Doncic maintains an autograph exclusive with Panini, which is why he is not part of the 2025-26 Topps flagship autograph lineup.

Panini remains the home for officially licensed WNBA trading cards. For college releases, both Topps and Panini are active through NCAA agreements. That mix means you will see NBA, WNBA, and NCAA products on different schedules, with different checklists and configurations.

Use this guide for release dates, checklists, base and insert expectations, and price guide access. Dates move often. Unless noted, the dates below refer to hobby releases. Retail and special editions can land on a different timeline. New products appear here as soon as they are announced. If a set is missing, it has not been formally announced yet.

No new basketball products are slated to drop this week. Several key releases are right around the corner.

2025 Donruss WNBA
Release date: October 16, 2025
What to expect: A large base checklist, classic Donruss inserts, rated style themes, and a mix of parallels and autographs depending on the box type.
Common formats: Hobby boxes, mega boxes, blaster boxes

2025-26 Topps Basketball
Release date: October 23, 2025
What to expect: The flagship return of Topps to NBA licensing with a deep base set, nostalgic Topps inserts updated for current stars and rookies, and chase hits that should anchor early season NBA breaks.
Common formats: Hobby boxes, jumbo boxes, mega boxes, value boxes

2025 Panini Prizm WNBA
Release date: October 30, 2025
What to expect: Chromium stock, a broad color rainbow, silvers, and short print chases that continue to define Prizm for WNBA collectors. Autographs and low numbered parallels highlight hobby.
Common formats: Hobby boxes, mega boxes

2025 Panini Impeccable WNBA
Release date: November 6, 2025
What to expect: Premium card stock, on card signatures where available, low numbered parallels, and elegant designs. Select boxes may include metal or specialty case hits.
Common formats: Hobby only

Plan for adjustments, since distributors and manufacturers update calendars frequently. Checklists tend to finalize close to release day, and retail often follows its own rollout. Keep this page handy for updates on new adds, confirmed checklists, and price guide links so you can decide what to rip, what to grade, and what to stash.