Kate Martin Makes Las Vegas Aces

Former Iowa Standout Earns WNBA Roster Spot

Apr 7, 2024; Cleveland, OH, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes guard Kate Martin (20) reacts after a basket against / Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Kate Martin knew she was going to have to work to get a roster spot with the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces.

Which is why the former Iowa player said she “cried” when coach Becky Hammon told her she had made the team’s roster to open the season.

“I was so excited,” Martin said Monday after the team’s roster was officially announced. “I just felt like a lot of hard work was paying off.”

Martin, a six-season player at Iowa who was part of the last two Hawkeye teams that made it to the NCAA tournament’s national championship game, was a surprise second-round pick of the WNBA two-time defending champion Aces in last month’s draft. Being picked didn’t mean it was a done deal that she would make the 12-player roster.

“Whenever you come into a team like this, who are back-to-back world champions, you don't really know what your odds are going to be,” Martin said. “And so I was really proud of myself and I was really happy that I gave myself the opportunity to make the team and be alongside some really great teammates.”

Martin said she didn’t know what the news was going to be when she was called into Hammon’s office last week.

“When I sat down, she had a stern look on her face and I was shaking in my boots.” Martin said. “So it was a little scary, but then she told me not to be nervous and told me congratulations and said some nice things. And so I just feel really lucky and extremely excited thatI get to continue playing the game that I love as my profession. Not many people get to say that and so I feel really grateful.”

Martin joins a roster that includes former Iowa player Megan Gustafson — Gustafson and Martin were teammates for two seasons with the Hawkeyes — and Iowa native Kiah Stokes.

“It's been unreal having Megan here,” Martin said. “She's been through the league. She's been through the highs, she has been through the lows and, she's come out on the other side, and so her perspective has been amazing to see and to bounce ideas off of her if I ever need help with plays. Or, maybe I had a bad practice being able to go and talk to her about that. It's been really nice because she's been through it all. So it's good to have a familiar face.”

Martin joins the Aces after a season with the Hawkeyes in which she averaged 13.1 points and 6.8 rebounds, helping lead Iowa to its second consecutive appearance in the NCAA tournament national championship game. Martin finished her career with 1,299 points.

“It’s been, definitely, a transition,” She said. “I mean, there's just levels to the game. You know, the same thing going from high school to college, but on a different level, and then college to professional. These are grown women. This is their livelihood. They've been playing in the league for years. They're very experienced — the physicality, the speed of the game, the pace, everything is a lot faster, a lot stronger, and the terminology learning the system, the offense, even defensive schemes and terminology, it's all different. And so you really just have to be a sponge and be ready to learn new things. And expand your mind every single day.”