Iowa Basketball Has Just 2 Words for Kate Martin After Valkyries Debut

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Evan Massey | Last updated May 7, 2025 10:05 AM ET

Iowa Hawkeyes basketball fans have continued following their women's basketball team from the Caitlin Clark area in their respective WNBA paths.

Kate Martin was drafted with the No. 18 overall pick in the second round of the 2024 WNBA draft by the Las Vegas Aces. She played in 34 games and started twice as a rookie, averaging 2.6 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 0.9 assists per game.

Heading into her second professional season, Martin made the move to the Golden State Valkyrie's. She made her debut with the team on Tuesday night in a preseason game against the Los Angeles Sparks.

During her debut with the Valkyrie's, Martin scored eight points to go along with three rebounds and two steals. She had a rough shooting night, connecting on just two of her eight shot attempts and one of her seven 3-point shots.

Following her debut, Iowa women's basketball sent a two-word message to Martin.

"Golden Kate," the post read.

Golden Kate https://t.co/GaZfsKhzQo
— Iowa Women's Basketball (@IowaWBB) May 7, 2025

Martin was a perfect complement for Clark during their college careers. She was a big part of the runs the Hawkeyes made during that time period.

Throughout her career at Iowa, Martin played in 163 career games, with 139 of those appearances coming in the starting lineup. Her best season came in her final yer with the program, averaging 13.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.3 assists.

Even though she isn't playing for the Hawkeyes anymore, the fan base still loves her. As the 2025 WNBA gets ready to start, they're still rooting just as hard for her as they were when she played at Iowa.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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