Kate Martin Refuses to Apologize for Benefits of ‘Deserved’ WNBA Explosion

Former Las Vegas Aces and current Golden State Valkyries standout Kate Martin quickly became one of the WNBA’s most beloved players after her time playing alongside Caitlin Clark on the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Martin’s timing and proximity to Clark worked wonders for not only her but for all of women’s basketball, as Clark’s popularity has brought an unprecedented amount of growth and attention to the game.

And since a rising tide lifts all boats, WNBA players have gotten to directly benefit from this boom, whether that be through them receiving chartered flights, what’s sure to be more lucrative contracts in the WNBA’s next Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), or various other factors.

And Martin spoke about this during her A Touch More live show appearance, which was released on YouTube on February 20.

“I feel grateful that I’ve come in at the time that I have. I haven’t experienced, you know, too many terrible locker rooms or practicing in a D-3 gym,” Martin said. “And you know what? I’m not gonna say sorry, either. I am thankful for that, alright?

“But here’s the thing, also: With the landscape of how sports has changed and everything is like, we shouldn’t feel sorry for being in this space, and we shouldn’t feel sorry for getting things that we deserve that people before us have been fighting for for so long,” Martin added.

Props to Martin for conveying her gratitude for those who came before her while also asserting that everything she has earned to this point is well deserved.