Kate Martin Of The WNBA’s Valkyries Has A Strict Pregame Ritual

In Bustle’s The Pregame, we ask athletes about their pregame rituals. How do they get in the zone? What do they wear for the famous tunnel walk? Do they have any superstitions before a big game? Here, Golden State Valkyries guard Kate Martin talks songs, snacks, and her love for naps.

Kate Martin, 25, may have a strong three-point shot as a guard for the Golden State Valkyries, but she plays another important role as a member of the newest WNBA expansion team: she’s always on AUX.

“I like to make sure we’re listening to good music,” she tells Bustle. “Typically, I’ll go for rap, R&B, and early 2000s music. We also have to listen to ‘YMCA’ in the locker room before every game. I don’t know why, but it’s really been working for us, so I’ve been keeping that going.”

As the unofficial team hype woman, Martin has also memorized every single one of her teammates’ pregame handshakes, which are each elaborate and unique. “My job is to get them pumped up and ready to go out there, play, and throw the first punch,” she says. It’s only their first season, and yet the Valkyries are already known for their fun traditions — and Martin is often in the middle of them.

Martin lives and breathes basketball. In 2024, she was selected in the second round of the WNBA draft by the Las Vegas Aces, where she kicked off her professional career after averaging 13 points per game at the University of Iowa. Once the Valkyries acquired her in December, she became part of history when her team went all the way to the playoffs in their first season — the first expansion team to do so.

“This season was awesome,” she says. “We talked a lot about what it would look like before it even started. We got to decide what Valkyries basketball is: what we wanted the culture to be, how we wanted to be as teammates, and how we wanted to be on the court.” They ended their season with a 23‑21 record and they finished eighth in the playoffs.

When Martin isn’t taking shots on the court, she’s busy working on brand deals, like her recent partnership with OLLY. “I’m very selective of the brands that I work with, and feel so grateful to work with a company that promotes wellness.”

Here, Martin shares her must-have warmup, the secret behind her tunnel walk looks, and what it’s like to travel with her teammates.

How do you like to get ready for a game?

When there are about 60 minutes left before tipoff, I do my pregame flush, which means trainers massage my legs, tape my ankles, and get me ready to roll. With 45 minutes left, I’ll take my OLLY Daily Energy and have a snack. Then, when we’re a half-hour out, we’ll make sure everyone knows the game plan.

After that, it’s more mobility stretching, a warmup on court, and then I really lock in and get mentally focused. I’ll visualize scenarios in my head, like making the right reads on offense, diving on the floor for loose balls, getting every rebound, and making shots. At tipoff, we do the pregame handshakes.

Do you have any pregame superstitions?

I’m very routine-oriented, so I have to get dressed at the same time and eat the same thing — chicken and rice or chicken and noodles — protein and carbs. Maybe I’ll have a PB&J. I don’t like to change my routine, but I will if things aren’t going my way.

So many players seem to love a pregame PB&J. Why is that?

I think it’s because they’re at every arena. Also, something about somebody else making you a peanut butter and jelly, it just tastes so much better.

How do you get ready for tunnel walks?

If I’m wearing something for a brand, then I know I’m all set. But I also have a stylist who helps me decide what to wear. If I want to dress up and do a tunnel walk, I will. If I don’t do a walk, that means I have more time to get ready before the game.

What’s the team dynamic like as you travel?

It definitely depends on how long the week has been and how long the flight is. Sometimes we play games on the plane, whether it’s Chameleon, UNO, a card game, Bananagrams, or MONOPOLY GO! Sometimes people watch movies. I’m someone who can nap anywhere, so I like to catch up on my sleep, too.

What was it like being part of the inaugural Valkyries team?

I love that we got to set the tone. We worked hard, played hard, and had fun. More than anything, it’s been great to be surrounded by a lot of amazing people who you want to see succeed. I feel very grateful to be a part of this team, and I definitely haven’t taken a single second for granted.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.