What Kate Martin Needs to Change After Valkyries-Lynx Game 1 Blowout

Game 1 between the Golden State Valkyries and the Minnesota Lynx ended in 101-72 blowout in the Lynx’s favor. Forward Napheesa Collier and guard Kayla McBride led Minnesota in scoring in the rout of Golden State, while the Valkyries struggled offensively.

Golden State’s starters all struggled to get points up, with forward Cecilia Zandalasini and guard Veronica Burton tied for the team lead in points with 14 each, but the Valkyries suffered even more from a severe lack of production from their bench players.

Golden State’s six players coming off the bench combined for just 17 total points, a glaring flaw especially when compared to the Lynx’s production off the bench that put together 42 points of their own.

Kate Martin led the Golden State bench with 11 points in the loss and tied her second-highest regular season total for minutes played with 26 minutes, stepping up to a more regular role as the game went on and the score slipped beyond the Valkyries’ reach.

Still, in that extended playing time, Martin struggled to get shots up. She made seven total field goal attempts, mostly from three, and sank two triples throughout the game. She found other ways to contribute from the free throw line with five additional points, but overall struggled with her accuracy to put points on the board.

The biggest component of Martin’s game has been her ability to shoot from beyond the arc with a career three-point percentage of 32%, but she struggled in that field against the Lynx. Martin played the majority of the fourth quarter but went just 1-5 from three as Minnesota continued to march ahead for the win.

Martin has been looked at increasingly more as a support weapon for the Golden State offense and her typical three-point ability can spread out the Valkyries offense and give them more breathing room in the paint, freeing up players like Burton, Zandalasini and Temi Fágbénlé to drive more for layups.

With the Valkyries bench faltering and the offense as a whole struggling, Martin’s ability to shoot becomes even more crucial in this playoff series. She has shown the ability to show out in games before, like she did in a season-high 21 point performance against the New York Liberty on June 25, which she accomplished in a few less minutes than she played in Game 1 on Sunday.

Even without scoring, Martin can contribute in a support role as well and help facilitate the weaker Valkyries offense. Martin has good mobility on the court and feeding her teammates with assists while pulling away defenses can give them a leg up in the face of the Lynx.

The Golden State bench as a whole needs to become factor if the Valkyries want to continue to compete against the number one team in the WNBA and as Martin is looked at more and more as a frequent player, she has an opportunity to lead that growth for her team.