Kate Martin speaks really highly of her

Sydney Colson on Friday shared how Kate Martin played a key role in her decision to join the Indiana Fever in free agency. Colson signed a one-year, $90,000 contract with the Indiana-based franchise and will serve as Caitlin Clark’s backup point guard for the 2025 WNBA season.

In an interview with Boardroom, the two-time WNBA champion said she consulted with Martin before making her choice. Colson added that Martin spoke highly of Clark, which influenced her decision.

“Kate Martin, my teammate from the Aces, is obviously good friends with Caitlin Clark,” Colson said. “They played together at Iowa and she speaks really highly of her. And obviously we saw the rookie year that she had.

“So her, Kelsey, and Aliyah Boston they had something special the second half of the season and I just look at them as a young hungry team.”

Colson played alongside Martin with the Las Vegas Aces last season, while Martin and Clark were teammates for four years at the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Neither Colson nor Martin will be playing alongside A’ja Wilson next season. Colson signed with the Indiana Fever during the offseason, while Martin was drafted by the Golden State Valkyries.

Colson said she had no regrets from her time at the Aces and that fate led her to the Fever.

“I’ll miss those fans and everything, but I felt God was leading me in another direction,” she said. “You’re not necessarily feeling like you’re ready to take a step, but I think that’s usually when you need to.”

Also read: 2xWNBA champion sounds alarm bells for WNBA teams after joining Caitlin Clark’s Fever: “I’ll be interested to be personal with Caitlin”

Other factors that influenced Sydney Colson’s decision

Sydney Colson was influenced not only by what Kate Martin shared about Caitlin Clark before deciding to join the Indiana Fever but also by several other key factors. These included the coaching staff at the Indiana-based franchise, the presence of Kelsey Mitchell and the decision of other veterans to join the team.

“It was a variety of things,” Colson said. “There was a new coaching staff. Amber Cox was a big part of that. Kelsey Mitchell I played with here for the first three seasons. DeWanna Bonner and Natasha Howard are players I’ve respected from afar, enjoyed their game.

“Our veteran presence with DeWanna, Natasha and me coming from winning programs who have been around the league for a long time can help infuse something in the team that can take us far in playoffs.”

Colson, Natasha Howard and DeWanna Bonner are all proven winners in the WNBA. Together, they have accumulated seven WNBA championships. Colson and Bonner each have two, while Howard boasts three titles on her resume.

Edited by Atishay Jain