Kate Martin's entry into the WNBA came as a surprise, even to her. As many fans recall, she was a surprise draft pick by the Las Vegas Aces in 2024; she attended the draft to supporter her college teammate and friend, Caitlin Clark, and was picked up herself. She and A'ja Wilson became a pretty cute duo throughout her rookie year. Martin was drafted by the Golden State Valkyries as part of the team's expansion draft ahead of the 2025 season, and then waived by the Valkyries this year.
She was then picked up by the Los Angeles Sparks as a developmental player before the team bumped her up to a regular-season contract. But what seemed like a good fit soon took a turn, and Martin's minutes decreased significantly in recent weeks. Head coach Lynne Roberts told reporters last week the team was working through different rotations to see what combination of players works ahead of next year. That explanation is plausible, but many worried that Martin's future might not be with the team.
The Sparks announced the team had waived Martin and picked up Aaliyah Nye on Saturday. That's great news for Nye, who was waived by the Atlanta Dream after the team picked up DeWanna Bonner for the rest of the season, but it once again leaves Martin without a team.
It's entirely possible another team will sign Martin to a developmental role, or even offer her a contract to keep her on their 2027 roster. Teams that are already out of playoff contention are looking ahead at this point in the season, and Martin is the type of player who brings skill and fans to the court. She's also always described as a fair and helpful teammate, and the type of player who seems to almost inherently check her ego at the door.
Martin has also demonstrated over and over again that she's resilient, and she knows how to wait for the right opportunity for herself. She'll be back in Unrivaled when the league's third season begins in January, which means fans will have plenty of chances to see her hoop even if she's not playing in the WNBA for the rest of this season. She might not be the league's strongest player (there can only be one A'ja Wilson, after all), but she's gritty and tough, and it certainly seems like a lot of people are still hoping to see her play.
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