Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Kate Martin Earns Eye-Opening Remarks From Familiar Face

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Paolo Mariano | Last updated Feb 20, 2025 11:37 AM ET

Golden State Valkyries guard Kate Martin will be one of the young players to watch when the WNBA unfurls its new season in May.

Many are eager to see Martin take on a bigger role with the Valkyries after getting buried on the bench in her rookie year with the Las Vegas Aces.

In the meantime, she's been strutting her stuff in Unrivaled, although she sat out Laces BC's last game on Tuesday due to a leg issue.

The Valkyries, the WNBA's newest squad, are expected to lean on Martin, Temi Fagbenle and Kayla Thornton as they try to play the role of giant slayers in their inaugural campaign.

Ahead of her sophomore season, the 24-year-old Martin earned high praise from a very familiar face: Iowa coach Jan Jensen.

"The way she played, her humility, but also her grit, and that little glisten in her eye and that confidence, it just resonated, and you see the glue that she became," said Jensen in recalling Martin's time with the Hawkeyes in a video posted by local reporter Blake Hornstein on X.

Jensen was Iowa's assistant coach during Martin's five-year stint, and they developed a close relationship. Jensen, who replaced the retired Lisa Bluder last year, couldn't be happier for Martin's journey.

"To see her become a star on the WNBA level, although she was a role player (with the Aces), I loved everything about that story because that's life a lot of times.

"If you just keep plugging away, and maybe you're not always the one with the corner office, but you're the one that makes the organization work, and then if given the chance, Kate is gonna kill you."

Martin, along with Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark, led the Hawkeyes to three straight Big Ten titles and back-to-back finals appearances in the NCAA Tournament.

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

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