Even though they played together for the Iowa Hawkeyes in college, Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark and Las Vegas Aces’ Kate Martin are now on opposite sides during their first meeting as WNBA stars. This prompted the number one pick in this year’s draft to drop some beautiful words for her former teammate.
Before entering the league, Martin played college basketball for the Iowa Hawkeyes, where she was a key part of the team’s success. During her time with the team, she helped them reach the national championship round in both her senior and graduate seasons.
After a standout high school career in Edwardsville, Illinois, Martin attended the University of Iowa, where she redshirted her first year. In her four seasons playing for the Hawkeyes, Martin was a consistent contributor, earning second-team All-Big Ten honors as a senior. She finished her college career as one of the program’s all-time leaders in several statistical categories.
Martin was selected in the second round (18th overall) by the Las Vegas Aces in the 2024 WNBA draft. In her professional debut, she showcased her well-rounded game, earning a spot in the Aces’ starting lineup. With her combination of size, skill, and basketball IQ, she is expected to be an integral part of the Las Vegas’ roster for years to come as they compete for rings.
WNBA Rookie Caitlin Clark Reveals Beautiful Take About Las Vegas Aces’ Kate Martin
Just recently, Clark’s Indiana Fever met Martin and the Las Vegas Aces in a game the latter won. After the match, the number one pick had only good words for her friend, as seen in an article Lindsay Schnell wrote for USA Today.
“It’s kind of rare at the pro level what she can bring to a team, but she’s one of those people that’s not gonna care if she scores points, not gonna care how many rebounds she has or how many assists she has − she’s just gonna come in and play as hard as she possibly gonna, gonna be the best teammate she can be and those are the type of people you want in your locker room,” Clark said.
In 15 games this season, Martin has averaged 3.9 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 15.7 minutes per contest. However, she isn’t that efficient yet with the ball in her hands due to a 35 percent success rate from the field during that stretch.
Even though they’re now on opposite sides, it looks the like the bond formed between the two rookies won’t be broken anytime soon. As evidenced by their recent game, Clark and Martin will always remain friends and competitors down the line.
For More Great Basketball Content
Follow me on Twitter at @BeatKit22 and follow us @HardwoodHeroics for more great content. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in college and professional sports, click here!
