Kate Martin desires to make one factor clear: She is a punctual individual.
That bus in Dallas that left her within the parking zone after a Las Vegas Aces staff meal? “They set me up,” Martin says of her teammates’ current viral prank on the rookie. “Come on, now. I might by no means be late.
“Coach (Becky Hammon) stated she needed to speak to me, after which I used to be speaking to her — of no substance. I used to be actually confused. I assumed it was one thing vital, after which that they had been planning it the entire time.”
The Aces’ bus nearly left with out Kate Martin 😂
🎥 @_ajawilson22 pic.twitter.com/GXPQzSRdUc
— The Athletic WBB (@TheAthleticWBB) June 5, 2024
In equity, everybody on the Aces acknowledges Martin’s self-discipline. As Hammon says, “She simply doesn’t make errors.” It’s one of many many causes Las Vegas — the gamers, the coaches, the followers — has come to like Martin, as she retains residing the very best feel-good story within the WNBA.
One month into the season, Martin is averaging greater than 20 minutes per recreation for the two-time defending champs and is commonly Hammon’s first sub off the bench, which makes it simple to neglect how noteworthy it’s that Martin is on this place. She averaged double-digit scoring as soon as in her 5 years at Iowa, whereas taking part in within the nationwide highlight forged on Caitlin Clark, and she or he earned all-Massive Ten honors in solely that remaining season. Martin was a complementary participant in a draft class stuffed with star energy.
Close to the tip of her faculty profession, she spoke about relishing the ultimate days at Iowa earlier than changing into a “common outdated Joe Schmo.” She didn’t even have an agent throughout the WNBA Draft. She merely requested her Iowa coaches to talk to some professional coaches and, from that intel, inferred that she can be chosen within the third spherical at finest. Martin attended the draft to help Clark and didn’t plan on strolling if or when she was picked as a result of she hadn’t been invited by the league and her identify would presumably be known as late within the evening.
However Hammon and the Aces had been extra fascinated with Martin than she knew. Each time Hammon and her workers watched Iowa video games, she stated they got here away pondering, “Rattling, we love that Kate Martin child! Oh, she’s so good, she’s so stable.”
These crossing indicators ended up producing one of many highlights of the draft, because the producers requested Martin — who was seated within the viewers — to maneuver to the aisle of her row on the finish of the primary spherical. She observed the cameras begin to shut in when the Aces chosen Syracuse’s Dyaisha Honest with the sixteenth choose. Two picks later, it was Martin’s flip to shake fingers with league commissioner Cathy Engelbert and make her means throughout the Brooklyn Academy of Music stage.
KATE MARTIN TO THE ACES!!!! #WNBADraft pic.twitter.com/1C55qt0mVY
— Aliyah Funschelle (@AliyahFun) April 16, 2024
Even being drafted didn’t assure that Martin’s WNBA profession would nonetheless be alive and nicely. Between 2021 and 2023, solely 13 of the 36 second-round picks made their staff’s opening-night roster, and some of these gamers had been reduce earlier than the tip of the common season. Martin was becoming a member of a Las Vegas squad with a crowded coaching camp roster competing for just a few spots.
The week of the draft, Martin bought an help within the course of of constructing the roster from her future teammate Kelsey Plum, who prolonged Martin a last-minute invite to her Dawg Class to assist her put together for coaching camp. “We had an open spot, and I used to be like, ‘Kate Martin, for positive. Let’s go,’” Plum stated.
GO DEEPER
Kelsey Plum desires to develop the subsequent era of ‘dawgs’
As soon as Martin bought to Las Vegas, she steadily edged out the competitors along with her work ethic — what the Aces name the “attempt exhausting issue” — and thoughts. She hopes to educate after her taking part in profession and demonstrated that aptitude along with her capability to select up terminology and schemes. Hammon recalled one occasion when she was putting in a brand new, considerably complicated sideline out-of-bounds play. As her teammates arrange the play on the court docket, Martin observed from the sideline that they had been lined up incorrectly and pointed it out.
“To have the ability to make these changes and converse up, that is an ATO she’s simply seen, however she understood conceptually what we had been attempting to do after which she might put the items collectively,” Hammon stated. “In order that’s an incredible signal.”
It was additionally fortuitous for Martin to land in Las Vegas, a spot the place she’s going to by no means should be a star. The Aces want position gamers to encompass their famous person quartet, and Martin was elite at that project in faculty taking part in subsequent to Clark. She units good screens, she strikes the ball, she cuts exhausting to the basket, and she or he makes open jumpers. Las Vegas won’t ever name a play for Martin, however she is aware of how one can affect video games regardless.
Martin credit Iowa coach Lisa Bluder for serving to her learn the sport. Bluder all the time stated she didn’t wish to coach robots, and that compelled Martin to develop her IQ and discover ways to make selections with out set performs. Hammon grants the Aces freedom on the court docket, which is a pure extension of the Hawkeyes offense.
Martin cried when she discovered she made the ultimate roster, nevertheless it’s the Aces who would have been in a world of harm with out her by means of the primary quarter of the season. In her first WNBA recreation, Martin blocked 6-foot-7 Li Yueru from behind and hasn’t regarded again since. She’s capturing 37 % on 3-pointers, a mark that’s higher than each staff within the league besides the Minnesota Lynx. Las Vegas is 0.7 factors per 100 possessions higher along with her on the court docket than off it.
Hammon has deployed Martin in small-ball lineups as a 3 or 4, then began her at capturing guard towards the Los Angeles Sparks, towards whom she scored a career-high 13 factors and made all three of her 3-pointers.
Her first 3 nearly introduced the lid off the roof of Crypto.com Enviornment in Los Angeles, regardless of the Aces being the street staff. Simply as she was with the Hawkeyes, Martin is a fan favourite wherever she goes.
Rookie Kate Martin is on fireplace in her first profession begin, dropping 11 PTS by halftime and going an ideal 3-3 from deep 🔥
WNBA Commissioner’s Cup offered by @coinbase | LVA-LAS on League Move pic.twitter.com/qrNoOiu9sW
— WNBA (@WNBA) June 10, 2024
“Actually, I didn’t count on that,” Martin stated. “I by no means count on something, actually. I had no expectations coming to the league, and I believe that’s what’s been so enjoyable is that I bought a chance, and I made the very best staff on the earth, after which it’s simply been a number of enjoyable since.”
Martin additionally has a ton of followers inside her locker room. In Hammon’s first two seasons as Las Vegas’ coach, she performed her 4 rookies a complete of 524 minutes. Martin was already at 183 heading into Thursday’s recreation, the second most ever afforded amongst Hammon’s six complete rookies. A’ja Wilson loves Martin’s power and that she is all the time prepared when her identify is known as; the two-time MVP is regularly respiration confidence into Martin, encouraging her to shoot and attempting to uplift her at any time when potential. Plum calls her “an incredible sponge.” Martin has already drawn comparisons to Alysha Clark as a glue participant, and Clark has taken the 2024 draftee below her wing.
The veterans would possibly mess along with her — peep the Whats up Kitty backpack Martin is required to hold on journeys — however she takes it as an indication of affection. In spite of everything, the day after her teammates tried to ditch her in a restaurant parking zone, it was Martin’s birthday, and arguably the very best participant on the earth bought her a cake, ribbon and tiara.
Going into the season, it won’t have been evident that Martin can be relied upon to this extent as Las Vegas chases a three-peat. However one factor to learn about that Aces rookie — she’s forward of schedule.
(Picture: Ethan Miller / Getty Pictures)
