Kate Martin needs to make one factor clear: She is a punctual particular person.
That bus in Dallas that left her within the parking zone after a Las Vegas Aces crew meal? “They set me up,” Martin says of her teammates’ current viral prank on the rookie. “Come on, now. I might by no means be late.
“Coach (Becky Hammon) stated she needed to speak to me, after which I used to be speaking to her — of no substance. I used to be actually confused. I believed it was one thing necessary, after which that they had been planning it the entire time.”
The Aces’ bus nearly left with out Kate Martin 😂
🎥 @_ajawilson22 pic.twitter.com/GXPQzSRdUc
— The Athletic WBB (@TheAthleticWBB) June 5, 2024
In equity, everybody on the Aces acknowledges Martin’s self-discipline. As Hammon says, “She simply doesn’t make errors.” It’s one of many many causes Las Vegas — the gamers, the coaches, the followers — has come to like Martin, as she retains dwelling one of the best feel-good story within the WNBA.
One month into the season, Martin is averaging greater than 20 minutes per recreation for the two-time defending champs and is usually Hammon’s first sub off the bench, which makes it straightforward to neglect how noteworthy it’s that Martin is on this place. She averaged double-digit scoring as soon as in her 5 years at Iowa, whereas enjoying within the nationwide highlight forged on Caitlin Clark, and she or he earned all-Large Ten honors in solely that remaining season. Martin was a complementary participant in a draft class full of star energy.
Close to the tip of her school profession, she spoke about relishing the ultimate days at Iowa earlier than changing into a “common previous Joe Schmo.” She didn’t even have an agent in the course of the WNBA Draft. She merely requested her Iowa coaches to talk to some professional coaches and, from that intel, inferred that she could be chosen within the third spherical at finest. Martin attended the draft to assist Clark and didn’t plan on strolling if or when she was picked as a result of she hadn’t been invited by the league and her identify would presumably be known as late within the night time.
However Hammon and the Aces have been extra concerned about Martin than she knew. Each time Hammon and her employees watched Iowa video games, she stated they got here away pondering, “Rattling, we love that Kate Martin child! Oh, she’s so good, she’s so stable.”
These crossing alerts ended up producing one of many highlights of the draft, because the producers requested Martin — who was seated within the viewers — to maneuver to the aisle of her row on the finish of the primary spherical. She seen the cameras begin to shut in when the Aces chosen Syracuse’s Dyaisha Honest with the sixteenth decide. Two picks later, it was Martin’s flip to shake fingers with league commissioner Cathy Engelbert and make her means throughout the Brooklyn Academy of Music stage.
KATE MARTIN TO THE ACES!!!! #WNBADraft pic.twitter.com/1C55qt0mVY
— Aliyah Funschelle (@AliyahFun) April 16, 2024
Even being drafted didn’t assure that Martin’s WNBA profession would nonetheless be alive and effectively. Between 2021 and 2023, solely 13 of the 36 second-round picks made their crew’s opening-night roster, and some of these gamers have been minimize earlier than the tip of the common season. Martin was becoming a member of a Las Vegas squad with a crowded coaching camp roster competing for only some spots.
The week of the draft, Martin obtained an help within the course of of constructing the roster from her future teammate Kelsey Plum, who prolonged Martin a last-minute invite to her Dawg Class to assist her put together for coaching camp. “We had an open spot, and I used to be like, ‘Kate Martin, for positive. Let’s go,’” Plum stated.
GO DEEPER
Kelsey Plum needs to develop the subsequent era of ‘dawgs’
As soon as Martin obtained to Las Vegas, she steadily edged out the competitors together with her work ethic — what the Aces name the “attempt arduous issue” — and thoughts. She hopes to educate after her enjoying profession and demonstrated that aptitude together with her potential to select up terminology and schemes. Hammon recalled one occasion when she was putting in a brand new, considerably complicated sideline out-of-bounds play. As her teammates arrange the play on the courtroom, Martin seen from the sideline that they have been lined up incorrectly and pointed it out.
“To have the ability to make these changes and converse up, that is an ATO she’s simply seen, however she understood conceptually what we have been attempting to do after which she might put the items collectively,” Hammon stated. “In order that’s an important signal.”
It was additionally fortuitous for Martin to land in Las Vegas, a spot the place she is going to by no means have to be a star. The Aces want function gamers to encompass their celebrity quartet, and Martin was elite at that project in school enjoying subsequent to Clark. She units good screens, she strikes the ball, she cuts arduous to the basket, and she or he makes open jumpers. Las Vegas won’t ever name a play for Martin, however she is aware of tips on how to influence video games regardless.
Martin credit Iowa coach Lisa Bluder for serving to her learn the sport. Bluder all the time stated she didn’t wish to coach robots, and that compelled Martin to develop her IQ and learn to make selections with out set performs. Hammon grants the Aces freedom on the courtroom, which is a pure extension of the Hawkeyes offense.
Martin cried when she realized she made the ultimate roster, nevertheless it’s the Aces who would have been in a world of damage with out her by way of the primary quarter of the season. In her first WNBA recreation, Martin blocked 6-foot-7 Li Yueru from behind and hasn’t seemed again since. She’s capturing 37 p.c on 3-pointers, a mark that’s higher than each crew within the league besides the Minnesota Lynx. Las Vegas is 0.7 factors per 100 possessions higher together with her on the courtroom than off it.
Hammon has deployed Martin in small-ball lineups as a 3 or 4, then began her at capturing guard towards the Los Angeles Sparks, towards whom she scored a career-high 13 factors and made all three of her 3-pointers.
Her first 3 nearly introduced the lid off the roof of Crypto.com Area in Los Angeles, regardless of the Aces being the street crew. Simply as she was with the Hawkeyes, Martin is a fan favourite wherever she goes.
Rookie Kate Martin is on fireplace in her first profession begin, dropping 11 PTS by halftime and going an ideal 3-3 from deep 🔥
WNBA Commissioner’s Cup offered by @coinbase | LVA-LAS on League Move pic.twitter.com/qrNoOiu9sW
— WNBA (@WNBA) June 10, 2024
“Truthfully, I didn’t count on that,” Martin stated. “I by no means count on something, actually. I had no expectations coming to the league, and I believe that’s what’s been so enjoyable is that I obtained a chance, and I made one of the best crew on the earth, after which it’s simply been numerous enjoyable since.”
Martin additionally has a ton of followers inside her locker room. In Hammon’s first two seasons as Las Vegas’ coach, she performed her 4 rookies a complete of 524 minutes. Martin was already at 183 heading into Thursday’s recreation, the second most ever afforded amongst Hammon’s six complete rookies. A’ja Wilson loves Martin’s vitality and that she is all the time prepared when her identify is named; the two-time MVP is frequently respiratory confidence into Martin, encouraging her to shoot and attempting to uplift her every time potential. Plum calls her “an incredible sponge.” Martin has already drawn comparisons to Alysha Clark as a glue participant, and Clark has taken the 2024 draftee underneath her wing.
The veterans would possibly mess together with her — peep the Hi there Kitty backpack Martin is required to hold on journeys — however she takes it as an indication of affection. In any case, the day after her teammates tried to ditch her in a restaurant parking zone, it was Martin’s birthday, and arguably one of the best participant on the earth obtained her a cake, ribbon and tiara.
Going into the season, it won’t have been evident that Martin could be relied upon to this extent as Las Vegas chases a three-peat. However one factor to find out about that Aces rookie — she’s forward of schedule.
(Photograph: Ethan Miller / Getty Photos)