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Kate Martin Sends 4-Word Message To Caitlin Clark On Her Birthday

Originally posted on The Spun | By Matt Hladik | Last updated Jan 22, 2025 2:19 PM ET

Kate Martin and Caitlin Clark were teammates at Iowa and have remained close friends after graduation.

When Clark was drafted first overall by the Indiana Fever and Martin went in the second round to the Las Vegas Aces, the two publicly celebrated each other's accomplishments. Clark also encouraged Martin when she was recently selected by the Golden State Valkyries in the WNBA Expansion Draft, and Martin spoke up publicly for her friend during the summer, saying that Clark was being shouldered with unrealistic expectations.

“I don’t know if there’s too much I can do besides just be a friend, right? Be a listening ear and being there for her,” Martin said at the time. “Caitlin’s phenomenal, and she is having a great rookie season. I think people are really hard on her and expecting her to be perfect. That’s unrealistic, right? But, she's a phenomenal person, a phenomenal player. I’m going to support her through everything, right? She’s one of my best friends.”

On Wednesday, Clark turned 23 years old. For the occasion, Martin tagged her in her Instagram story, sharing a collage of photos of the two together along with a quick message.

"Happy Birthday. Love you," Martin wrote.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MAY 25: Former Iowa Hawkeyes teammates Caitlin Clark (L) #22 of the Indiana Fever and Kate Martin #20 of the Las Vegas Aces greet each other on the court during warmups before their game at Michelob ULTRA Arena on May 25, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Aces defeated the Fever 99-80. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Clark reposted Martin's story on her own, so she saw her friend's birthday wishes. We're sure the two have chatted privately as well.

This morning, Clark announced a major charitable endeavor. Her Caitlin Clark Foundation is partnering with Scholastic's United States of Readers program to donate 22,000 books to underfunded schools in Indiana and Iowa.

"Reading and education have always been hugely important in my life. I remember picking out the books from the Scholastic flyer and how empowering that was for me as a child, and how motivated I was to read," Clark said in a statement. "I want to help kids have the same experience, to develop their reading skills and open their imaginations to dream big. I am thrilled that my foundation will support reading as Literacy Champions by collaborating with Scholastic and the United States of Readers."

An awesome gesture from the WNBA Rookie of the Year. Here's to hoping Clark has a wonderful birthday.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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