Ladies From the Bay

The last group of cards from my recent eBay spendapalooza are a few of my favorite female athletes. 

Last year after the Women's World Cup I wrote a blog post about how the USWNT, and women's soccer as whole, deserves it's own trading card release. While this has yet to happen there are some cards out there from different Upper Deck and Panini releases. I was able to pick up relics of my two favorite members of the USWNT. Both cards come from 2012 Panini Americana.

#42/99

Tobin Heath's passing and chance creation skills are right up there with the best male players in the world. 

#12/99

Kelley O'Hara has an engine that never stops going. She is particularly adept at playing the ball in from the flank from the fullback or outside mid positions.

I also picked up cards from three Olympics stars.

#115/119

Katie Hoff made her Olympics debut as a 15 year old at the 2004 Athens games. She really became a star over the next few years winning numerous medals and breaking world records. However, her performance at the 2008 Beijing games did not live up to expectations. She failed to qualify for the 2012 London team and officially retired in 2015 due to health issues.

#50/99

Carly Patterson won the 2004 Olympic women's gymnastics all-around starting a string of, thus far, three straight all-around gold medals won by American women. I actually had the privilege of meeting her in person in 2005 and got an autograph at the time. I met her at her gym in Plano, TX. She was very personable taking a few minutes to talk with me and take a picture with me. She actually seemed surprised and honored that someone who was not in the gymnastics world would be interested in meeting her.

Meryl Davis is a highly successful ice dancer winning gold at the 2014 Sochi games with partner Charlie White after they took silver at the 2010 Vancouver games. Together they have won many other international titles. She was also the winner of the 18th season of "Dancing With the Stars".