Kate Martin Doesn’t Hold Back on WNBA Competition After Chicago Sky Game

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Rodney Knuppel | Last updated Jun 28, 2025 5:43 PM ET

The WNBA season is approaching its midway point, and teams are beginning to find their rhythm. Rosters are solidifying, and rotation patterns are taking shape across the league.

One team still adjusting on the fly is the Golden State Valkyries. In their inaugural season, the Valkyries have posted an 8-7 record, sitting fourth in the Western Conference.

Golden State picked up a hard-fought 83-78 home win Friday night over the Chicago Sky. Up next is a home game Sunday against the Seattle Storm.

WNBA reporter Kenzo Fukuda, who covers Golden State basketball, caught up with Kate Martin after the win.

I asked Valkyries’ Kate Martin about the team fighting through the fatigue in this win:

“That’s kind of how this league is… You can’t really just act tired and be tired. Nobody feels sorry for us that we have 4 games this week, so we just got to come prepared.” pic.twitter.com/E72ejjTnGG
— Kenzo Fukuda (@kenzofuku) June 28, 2025

Martin, a former teammate of Caitlin Clark at the University of Iowa, was asked about playing through fatigue in such a grueling stretch.

“That’s kind of how this league is," Martin said. "You can’t really just act tired and be tired. Nobody feels sorry for us that we have 4 games this week, so we just got to come prepared.”

Martin played 20 minutes off the bench on Friday, scoring 11 points and grabbing three rebounds. She was one of four Valkyries players to score in double figures, with Kayla Thornton leading the way with 29 points.

It was the second straight game, and the fifth in the past month, in which Martin has scored in double figures off the bench. She was originally drafted by the Las Vegas Aces in the second round of the 2024 draft. After spending one season in Las Vegas, she was selected by Golden State in the WNBA expansion draft on Dec. 6.

Following Sunday's matchup against Seattle, the Valkyries will get a brief break before beginning a four-game road trip on July 5. That stretch will take them through Minnesota, Atlanta, Indianapolis and Las Vegas.

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

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