How A’Ja Wilson and Aces have found a beacon in an underwhelming season

The 2024 rookie class looks absurdly stacked and the crown jewel is a sniper from Iowa. Some have said her presence alone will vault the WNBA into a new era. But we’re here to discuss basketball only, so let’s analyze how Kate Martin has made an impact as a role player in Las Vegas early in her career.

After the Aces drafted Martin in the second round, there was no guarantee of a WNBA role or success; after all, she was one of four second-round picks to make a final roster. But Martin’s excellent off-ball offensive skillset translated seamlessly to the W on a stacked (if underperforming) Aces roster.

What is Kate Martin’s standout skillset?

Shooting has been Martin’s standout skill, as she shot 39% from deep across her final two college seasons and has nailed 39.6% of her attempts in the pros thus far. Though Martin only averages 12.6 minutes a night, she’s willing to put up shots, taking a respectable 5.8 threes per 36 possessions.

Beyond open catch and shoots, Martin’s feel for spacing and quick release let her punish defenses from beyond the arc. She’s comfortable sprinting into threes off of movement and firing before the defense can set. Martin’s innate understanding of spacing and positioning let her slip through defensive cracks and into spots to nail triples.

Though Martin won’t ever be a dynamic on-ball creator given her lack of handling diversity or quickness, she’s a fantastic cutter and off-ball mover with enough dribbling competence to put the ball on the floor in a pinch. Players who make snappy decisions and don’t halt offensive flow are always valuable.

When Martin’s scoring chances don’t convert baskets of her own, she’ll flow into handoffs and bounce accurate entries in the post. Martin has the playmaking feel to exploit gaps in the defense when her other great teammates create advantages and force the defense into rotation.

Kate Martin and Caitlin Clark: How playing second fiddle has ensured her WNBA survival

Martin’s low-maintenance style is ideal for a team laden with high-usage offensive players like A’ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum. Even in a scaled-down version of her college role, Martin has plenty of experience playing next to offensive superstars.

Her time playing next to Caitlin Clark has perfectly adapted her to a complementary role at the pro level. Many college stars must learn to scale down and survive without dominating the ball. For Martin, though, that isn’t the case. She’s already confident and capable of playing an offensive role and that has helped her get on the floor early.

Some scouts may have expected Martin to struggle on the defensive end translating to the more athletic WNBA, but Martin holds her own in the league, especially as an off-ball defender. She’s excellent at rotating to cover the back line on defense and reading plays out as a help defender. Martin defenders cerebrally, winning with timely positioning and awareness well above the level of most rookies.

Martin will struggle against quicker defenders, as she’s a bit sluggish accelerating laterally and speedy guards will target that weakness. She’s shown some competence guarding taller players, though, as Martin’s strength and low center of gravity allow her to wall off some post players with help from her teammates.

It’s not a guarantee that Martin will stick in the Aces rotation long-term. Over her last four games, Martin’s playing time has declined to under four minutes per contest. That’s the nature of a smaller league like the WNBA with far more talent than available roster spots. Her status as somewhat of a lovable hero among Aces players and fans will help her, though, as a positive presence in the locker room will always carry value.

Shooting will likely never fall out of style, which is good news for Martin’s long-term WNBA career. She’s a professional floor spacer who thinks the game at a high level and those tend to stick around given the value of those skills on great teams.

Edited by Jeet Pukhrambam