rewrite this content and keep HTML tags (remove this from content : rewrite this content and keep HTML tags)
Golden State Valkyries standout Kate Martin has done a great job carving out her own career in professional women’s basketball.
This is noteworthy because many didn’t believe Martin would have a future in the WNBA after her college career at Iowa. She was just as surprised as anybody else when the Las Vegas Aces selected her with the No. 18 pick of the 2024 WNBA Draft, as she attended the draft largely to support her Hawkeyes teammate, Caitlin Clark.
But now, Martin has produced two successful WNBA seasons (one with the Aces and one with the Valkyries, after Golden State selected her in their expansion draft last winter) and has been part of the first two Unrivaled seasons.
A big part of Martin’s popularity is her proximity to Clark, as the two remain the best of friends. Martin also cultivated a strong relationship with A’ja Wilson during the Aces’ 2024 season. In fact, there’s probably nobody who knows both Wilson and Clark better than Martin.
Kate Martin explains simple Unrivaled recruiting pitch for Caitlin Clark
This is why it was interesting to hear Martin speaking about Clark and Wilson potentially playing in Unrivaled during an interview with Sports Illustrated that was published on January 7.
When Martin was asked whether she thought Clark or Wilson’s respective playing styles were better suited for 3×3, she said, “Both of them. I mean, they’re two of the best players in the world. You can’t really deny that. And so, A’ja on the pick and roll would be amazing, and her midrange game would be lethal here.
“And then Caitlin, being able to spread the floor and probably be shooting it from half-court, honestly. So it would probably be really fun to see both of them. I can’t really pick one, I think they would both thrive in this setting.”
Martin was then asked whether she had tried to recruit either of them to Unrivaled, and what her recruiting pitch might be.
“I think my recruiting pitch would be, ‘Come be in the warm weather!’ Like, Miami, it’s lovely here. We can go to the beach on the off days, chill, and have fun with it, too. I think that’s what this league is all about. It’s very serious, it’s player-driven. But it’s also a lot of fun… So I feel like it speaks for itself,” Martin responded.
Perhaps Martin can convince these two superstars to take their talents to South Beach after the 2026 WNBA season concludes.
