LOS ANGELES, Calif. — At the University of Iowa, Kate Martin thrived in her supporting role. She was a staple of the team, playing five years and increasing her points, rebounds, and production year after year. She brought a balance of visible calm and fiery excitement to a team that appeared in two national championship games, exploded to fame, and dealt with the challenges that come from increased visibility in a short time.
Then she made history when she was drafted as an audience member as the 18th overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft. She played in 34 games for the reigning WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces as a rookie, averaging 2.6 points on 37.5% 3-point shooting in 11.5 minutes per game.
Ahead of the 2025 season, she was selected sixth overall in the expansion draft by the Golden State Valkyries. Under Golden State head coach Natalie Nakase, who was also her assistant coach in Las Vegas, Martin improved her production on offense on a Cinderella story first-year team, averaging 6.2 points and 2.7 rebounds per game.
One thing that has been consistent throughout Martin’s career is steady improvement and being a trusted member of successful teams, or, as Sparks general manager Raegan Pebley called it when she signed, “her winning history.”
In a surprise to the many fans clad in Martin jerseys who frequented Chase Center, Martin was waived by Golden State on May 7 of this year. Only three days later, the Sparks signed her to one of the league’s player development contracts. For the first time in her career, on paper, it didn’t feel Martin’s career was trending upward.
Martin arrived in Los Angeles on the same day of her signing and went directly to Crypto.com Arena, meeting with reporters immediately upon arrival. Tearfully, she shared that hearing the news of her future with Golden State had been difficult, but she understood that it was ultimately a “business decision,” before expressing her excitement at being in a place where she thinks she can thrive.
“I’m still young in my career, I think this is just a really good opportunity for me to grow,” she said. “I just feel honored for the opportunity. Opportunities don’t always come around in this league. For the year that I got cut to be a year where there are development spots, I feel very grateful for that. My job now is to buy in.”
She ended the conversation by assuring reporters that when all was said and done, she planned to make the Sparks roster.
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It would have been reasonable for Martin to have gotten in her head about her new position, gotten frustrated, lost her calm. But Martin — touted by her teammates and coaches repeatedly for her steadiness and her work ethic — isn’t letting her role or her uncertain future on the team deter her.
“Right now, I’m going to buy into my role as a development player,” she told a group of reporters, fresh off of the plane. “I’m going to learn and I’m going to grow, and I’m going to make the most of this opportunity.”
This energy is palpable. She’s the first person off the bench on each timeout and the first person celebrating with immense gusto after a made basket. She’s loud, she’s engaged and she’s still smiling, despite being in street clothes more often than not.
Ahead of the June 2 game against her former team, the Aces — for which Martin was not activated — she remained upbeat. “My mentality has just been making the most of every single opportunity. WNBA is a lot about fit and having somebody believe in you,” she told The IX Basketball.
She’s staying ready. She said, “I just rely on my preparation, rely on my work. I’m going to do every single thing possible beforehand to make sure that when my number is called, that I’m ready to go into the game.”
When Martin was signed, Pebley said, “Kate is a gifted shooter, whose grittiness and winning history mesh well with Sparks basketball. She’s confident in her shot, plays tenacious defense and is an unselfish, high-energy teammate. We’re eager to watch Kate develop within our system.”
As a Valkyrie last season, Martin averaged 3.3 made threes on 10.7 attempts per 40 minutes, which ranked fifth and second in the league, respectively. Of her total points, 65.5% were scored from beyond the arc — a dream for a coach who has consistently encouraged her team to increase its 3-point shooting output. Martin is a natural fit.
Referencing herself and Sparks head coach Lynne Roberts’ alignment when it comes to style, Martin said, “We like a fast-paced offense, paint and spray. It’s a great offense for people who like to shoot the basketball, and I’m one of those people.”
But it’s not quite that simple. Developmental players can only play in 12 games per season, and each game day, they find out whether they are “activated” or not, with all activations counting toward that total. That’s a potentially challenging set of mental gymnastics for a player who is used to suiting up, contributing and being part of that winning culture.
“My goal right now is to continue to work as hard as I possibly can and control all of the things that I can control to be the best development player that I can be and support this team in any way possible, whether I’m activated or not,” Martin said. “If I am activated, I want to make an impact on the court. If I’m not activated, I want to be the loudest person on the bench, in the locker room.”
Roberts has noticed her efforts — and ability — to be unflappable in the wake of uncertainty. When asked about Martin’s presence and mindset, Roberts acknowledged the challenge placed on developmental players, having to find out same-day whether they will or won’t play. “Credit to her for being ready to go,” she told reporters.
“She has a confidence to her that’s valuable,” Roberts added. “She’s not afraid to use her voice.” She acknowledged that it’s been a new learning experience determining out when to use Kate. “We’re still figuring it out. But she’s done a tremendous job.”
Before Martin’s first activation on May 15, Roberts said, “She’s been incredible since we’ve had her. … Her work ethic is incredible. She’s taking notes in film and asking questions, and that gives you confidence.”
Martin has played in five total games for the Sparks thus far, most in the absence of guard Ariel Atkins, who was sidelined with a concussion. On May 17, in a loss to the Toronto Tempo, Martin played 18 minutes, shooting 3-for-6 from three for 11 points on the night. She was the only Spark to have a positive in the plus-minus column, and after her first three on the night, she let out an emotional cheer and fist pump. She sure looked ready.
After the game, guard Kelsey Plum told reporters, “She’s a super smart player, so to come in and kind of get thrown into the fire, you know, expect a lot more of her. I think she’ll be super impactful for us, and I’m excited to play with Money Martin again.”
Martin’s move to Los Angeles also meant reuniting with Plum, who was a leader on Martin’s rookie-year Aces team. Plum was one of the early WNBA adopters of Martin’s nickname “Money Martin,” a term of endearment that Martin also had in college at Iowa.
After only a few weeks of playing with Martin in training camp in 2024, Plum said, “Kate Martin is awesome. Kate Martin picks up things so quickly. She’s an amazing sponge. We nicknamed her ‘Kate Money Martin,’ so I think that could stick because she really is.” She explained that “Money” wasn’t just a reference to her 3-point shooting, but to her ability to be “in the right place at the right time, making people better.”
From a five-time All-Star, this compliment is no joke. To viewers, Martin very much appeared like the little sister to Plum and the other established veterans on the Aces.
Having Plum in Los Angeles has been a calming, consistent presence that Martin has come to appreciate during what’s been a season of change. Martin said, “[Plum’s] just a great sounding board and just like a steady person in the locker room, and just a steady worker,” noting it feels like she has someone “in her corner” before adding “It’s nice to have a familiar face whenever everything is going a million miles an hour. KP is just great, and I’m super thankful for her.”
Martin also said that she’s been getting strong feedback from her coaches and teammates, which has added to her ability to stay ready. “One of Lynne’s superpowers is making people feel seen, and it doesn’t matter how much you play or how little you play. I think she treats everybody with the same amount of respect,” Martin said. She acknowledged that’s not a given in a professional league, but that it’s built her confidence and helped her stay ready.
You’d never know from seeing Martin on the bench that she’d had what some would consider a career setback. She looks focused, and she looks ready. For her, so much of that is mental.
“I know that I’ve worked extremely hard and I’ve been working my butt off while I’ve been here in LA,” she said. “So just relying on that and knowing who I am, and never losing sight of that and having confidence in myself.”
The Sparks play next on Friday against the Dallas Wings, with a guard-heavy lineup that will challenge the Sparks, especially if Plum remains sidelined. We’ll find out on Friday whether or not Martin will get to take part in that matchup — and so will she.
Editor’s note (June 5, 12:55 p.m. ET): An earlier version of this story described how the Las Vegas Aces began to refer to Kate Martin as “Money Martin” in 2024, but it did not mention that Martin also had that nickname at Iowa. The story has been updated to include that additional context.
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