Fastbreak

Kate Martin Makes First WNBA Start for Las Aces Vegas, Scores Career-High

Kate Martin made her first career start with the Las Vegas Aces on Sunday, scoring a career-high 13 points. She's made a lot of progress in a short time, going from a second-round pick to a WNBA starter.

Dustin Schutte

Las Vegas Aces rookie Kate Martin
Las Vegas Aces rookie Kate Martin / Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen /
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It didn't take long for Kate Martin to find a spot in the starting rotation. On Sunday, the Las Vegas Aces rookie made her first career start in the WNBA, as the team faced the Los Angeles Sparks.

Martin made the most of her opportunity, too. The former Iowa star scored a career-high 13 points, making five-of-seven shots from the floor. She was also converted on all three of her shots from behind the 3-point line.

Along with her 13-point night, Martin also grabbed four rebounds and had three assists. Unfortunately for the Aces, it wasn't enough to get the win. Los Angeles defeated Las Vegas 96-92.

Even though the Aces fell short, it was still an impressive showing from Martin, who has been one of the WNBA's pleasant surprises this year. She was a second-round pick in this year's draft, but quickly earned the respect of her teammates for her basketball IQ and attitude towards the game.

Martin has appeared in eight of Las Vegas' nine games this season. She's averaging 5.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists while logging just over 21 minutes per contest. The rookie is also shooting 36.1% from the floor and 39.1% from 3-point range.

In ESPN's rookie rankings, Martin ranked third, behind Sparks' Cameron Brink and Chicago Sky's Angel Reese. She's not just making an impact with her teammates, everyone watching the WNBA is taking notice of the former Hawkeyes' production.

Martin and the Aces will be back in action on Tuesday night, hosting the Minnesota Lynx. That game airs on NBA TV at 10 p.m. ET.

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Dustin Schutte
DUSTIN SCHUTTE

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