Iowa’s Kate Martin was selected by the Las Vegas Aces in the second round of the WNBA Draft on Monday in Brooklyn, N.Y. She was picked 18th overall.
Martin was the second Hawkeye to earn a professional opportunity on Monday. Caitlin Clark was the No. 1 overall selection by the Indiana Fever. This is the first time Iowa has had two players selected in the same WNBA draft since 1998.
“To be honest, I don’t think I’d have the type of career if I don’t have a teammate like Kate,” Clark said about Martin leading up to the 2024 national championship game. “She’s been one that has had my back. She holds me accountable. I hold her accountable. But I think at the same time, me and Kate are wired so similarly that we get each other on a different level … She’s one of the best leaders I’ve been around. She wants the best for her teammates. She’s one of the most selfless people.”
More:Iowa basketball’s Caitlin Clark selected No. 1 overall by Indiana Fever in 2024 WNBA Draft
Martin has been a part of the Iowa program since 2018. She redshirted her first season after suffering ACL and lateral meniscus tears in her left knee. Over the next five seasons, she appeared in 163 games, including 139 starts. She scored nearly 1,300 points in her Hawkeye career.
“I’m so proud of Kate because her dreams came true,” Iowa coach Lisa Bluder said. “She has been such a big part of our program over the last six years. Her efforts did not go unnoticed by her peers. I wish Kate all the success with this next step.”
Clark’s meteoric rise garnered much of the spotlight, but Martin was among the supporting cast that also carved out a special place in the hearts of Iowa fans. Martin played key parts in Iowa’s run to back-to-back national championship games, though the Hawkeyes fell short in each. The 2023-24 season, her final playing for the Hawkeyes, was her most productive, averaging 13.1 points and 6.8 rebounds per game, both of which were career-highs.
“I used to sleep with an Iowa women’s basketball poster on my ceiling,” Martin said after Iowa’s loss to South Carolina in the 2024 national championship game. “So to be in this position and be with coach (Lisa) Bluder and make it to back-to-back national championships, I just feel super grateful. It’s because I worked really hard, and I dreamed big. I’m not some All-American, five-star recruit out of high school. I never was. And people believed in me, I believed in myself, and here I am.”
More:Kate Martin picked by Las Vegas in WNBA Draft: What they’re saying on social media
Martin joins former Hawkeye teammate Megan Gustafson in Las Vegas. The Aces have won the last two WNBA championships.
The Edwardsville, Ill., native has spoken about her desire to get into the coaching profession. After playing her final game at Carver-Hawkeye Arena — a tightly contested win over West Virginia — Martin expressed interest in eventually coaching at Iowa.
“I just don’t feel like this is my end here at Iowa,” Martin said that day. “I feel like hopefully in the future I’ll be back here in some capacity. I hope one day I can coach here or whatever. It’s not super sad for me. I just feel super grateful.”
But she wasn’t planning to embark on a coaching career before at least trying to continue her playing days.
“I want to continue playing basketball,” Martin said in March. “I hope I get an opportunity for a training camp. Or I hope I get drafted. I don’t know. I hope that happens for me.”
And now, Martin gets that opportunity.
Follow Tyler Tachman on X @Tyler_T15, contact via email at ttachman@gannett.com
First appeared on www.hawkcentral.com