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WNBA Player Receives Flagrant After Moment With Kate Martin

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Chris Phelps | Last updated Jun 1, 2025 11:10 PM ET

After two straight losses against the New York Liberty, Kate Martin and the Golden State Valkyries dropped to 2-3 on the 2025 WNBA season.

On Sunday, the Valkyries looked to get back to .500, facing Napheesa Collier and the Minnesota Lynx in the Bay Area.

After not playing in the last game, Martin received seven first-half minutes against the Lynx, and she delivered. The former Iowa Hawkeyes guard tallied 14 points on 4-of-5 shooting and two rebounds.

But Martin's biggest moment of the first half came with just under five minutes to play in the second quarter. Trailing 37-36, Martin received a no-look pass from fellow guard Julie Vanloo.

Martin quickly pulled up for a deep 3-pointer and nailed it, giving the Valkyries a two-point lead. However, Lynx forward Alanna Smith was called for a personal foul for stepping into Martin's landing zone on the shot.

As in the NBA, when a WNBA player steps into a shooter’s landing zone, the play is reviewed for a potential flagrant foul. Martin’s 3-pointer was reviewed, and Smith was assessed a flagrant. This gave the Valkyries two free throws, with Martin hitting one of two, and possession of the ball.

KATE MARTIN 4-POINT PLAY

She's up to 11 points in 5 minutes off the benchpic.twitter.com/glS6MJtq6g
— Underdog WNBA (@UnderdogWNBA) June 2, 2025

Martin started her career with the Las Vegas Aces in 2024, where she helped get them to the postseason. She was selected by the Valkyries in December's expansion draft, giving her another chance for playing time.

Prior to the Lynx game, Martin had been struggling to find her rhythm with Golden State, averaging 4.5 points on 26.3% shooting and 33.3% from distance and 1.8 rebounds.

Up next for the Valkyries is a trip to Phoenix to face Alyssa Thomas and the Mercury on Thursday.

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

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