Kate Martin makes Las Vegas Aces roster ahead of 2024 season opener
Updated: 1:59 PM CDT May 13, 2024
ROUND OF THE WNBA DRAFT. SO THAT WAS EVERYTHING’S JUST MOVING SO FAST. KATE’S PARENTS, JILL AND MATT MARTIN, SAY THEY’VE BARELY BEEN ABLE TO TAKE A BREATH AFTER THIS WEEK’S EXCITEMENT. THEY’RE STILL PROCESSING THE SURPRISE NEWS THAT KATE WAS DRAFTED. IT’S SOMETHING SHE’S DREAMED OF HER ENTIRE LIFE. WE WERE PACKING BOXES IN OUR APARTMENT. I ENDED UP STAYING WITH HER FOR THE NIGHT, PACKING BOXES AND, UM, SHE CAME ACROSS THIS HOODIE THAT SHE HAD ASKED FOR IN HIGH SCHOOL, AND IT WAS THE WNBA LOGO. SHE’S LIKE, OH, LOOK AT THIS, MOM. HEY, ALLEMAN NICKNAMED THE GLUE. KATE’S TEAMMATES HAVE CALLED HER THE HEART AND SOUL OF THE HAWKEYE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM. HER LEADERSHIP AND GRACE, MANY SAY, MAKE HER DESTINED TO BECOME A COACH. KATE’S PARENTS SAY SHE’S WANTED TO BE A HAWKEYE SINCE AGE FIVE. THE DREAM STARTED EARLY SINCE HER AUNT JAN JENSEN IS ON THE COACHING STAFF. LISA BLUDER SAID LAST NIGHT AT THE BANQUET, KATE USED TO COME TO CAMP AND HANG OUT WITH ME ON THE GOLF CART BEFORE SHE COULD EVEN ATTEND. NOW KATE IS A PART OF HISTORY IN CLEVELAND, LEADING THE HAWKEYES TO COMPETE IN TWO NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS ALONGSIDE HER DEAR FRIEND CAITLIN CLARK. I THINK CAITLIN BELIEVED IN KATE EVEN WHEN KATE DIDN’T BELIEVE IN HERSELF, YOU KNOW, I THINK KATE. CAITLIN SAW THE POTENTIAL IN KATE AND HELP AND REALLY HELP KIND OF GIVE KATE THE CONFIDENCE THE MARTINS SAY KATE AND CAITLIN ARE TRULY BEST FRIENDS ON AND OFF THE COURT, AND NOW THEY WILL SEE EACH OTHER AGAIN IN THEIR NEXT CHAPTER. THE WNBA. I DON’T HAVE ANY INSIDE INFORMATION. I JUST DON’T THINK CAITLIN AND KATE ARE DONE. I THINK THEY’LL BE REUNITED IN SOME WAY AGAIN. AND KATE WAS AT THE DRAFT TO SUPPORT CAITLIN CLARK AND WAS SHOCKED WHEN HER NAME WAS CALLED SO EARLY. YOU KNOW, I ASKED, I SAID, ARE THEY SAD THEY’RE NOT GOING TO BE PLAYING WITH EACH OTHER BUT AGAINST EACH OTHER? POSSIBLY NOW. AND KATE’S PARENTS HAD ACTUALLY NO, THEY’RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT IT. THEY THINK IT’S GOING TO BE VERY FUN. THEY’RE BOTH VERY COMPETITIVE AND A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE REALLY CHEERING FOR KATE.
Kate Martin makes Las Vegas Aces roster ahead of 2024 season opener
Updated: 1:59 PM CDT May 13, 2024
The Las Vegas Aces announced their opening day roster ahead of the 2024 season, and a familiar face for Iowans made the final cut.Previous video above: Family of former Hawkeye Kate Martin reacts to her being draftedKate Martin, who starred alongside Caitlin Clark at Iowa and was a key member of the Hawkeyes' 2023 and 2024 Final Four teams, will begin the 2024 season with the back-to-back defending WNBA champion Aces. Las Vegas drafted Martin last month with the No. 18 overall pick.Martin averaged 13.1 points per game as a fifth-year senior for the Hawkeyes in 2023-24, along with 6.8 rebounds per game and 37% shooting from beyond the 3-point line.Martin joins former Hawkeye Megan Gustafson on the Aces' opening day roster. The Aces begin their 2024 season Tuesday vs. the Phoenix Mercury.Martin joins Clark, the No. 1 overall pick by the Indiana Fever, as Hawkeye rookies in the WNBA.
DES MOINES, Iowa — The Las Vegas Aces , and a familiar face for Iowans made the final cut.
Previous video above: Family of former Hawkeye Kate Martin reacts to her being drafted
Kate Martin, who starred alongside Caitlin Clark at Iowa and was a key member of the Hawkeyes' 2023 and 2024 Final Four teams, will begin the 2024 season with the back-to-back defending WNBA champion Aces. Las Vegas drafted Martin last month with the No. 18 overall pick.
Martin averaged 13.1 points per game as a fifth-year senior for the Hawkeyes in 2023-24, along with 6.8 rebounds per game and 37% shooting from beyond the 3-point line.
Martin joins former Hawkeye Megan Gustafson on the Aces' opening day roster. The Aces begin their 2024 season Tuesday vs. the Phoenix Mercury.
Martin joins Clark, the No. 1 overall pick by the Indiana Fever, as Hawkeye rookies in the WNBA.