Fans of Kate Martin received disappointing news Wednesday after Unrivaled announced the league had arrived at a mutual decision to terminate her contract ahead of the coming season. Martin didn't immediately announce her next plans, and many are speculating that she could end up going overseas to play in Europe.
That's a road that would be a good one for her to take. Martin hasn't had the chance to truly develop her game since she was drafted into the WNBA in 2024, and she's been bounced from the Las Vegas Aces to the Golden State Valkyries to the Los Angeles Sparks. In and of itself, that's also not an issue; plenty of player are waived throughout their WNBA careers. In fact, Martin could look to the Valkyries for an example: Kaila Charles has been waived several times throughout her career, and she's currently being celebrated as one of the reasons the Valkyries are doing so well in the WNBA Finals.
But Martin could also do something else. Before she was drafted, she planned a career in coaching, and it's possible an opportunity has come up that she doesn't want to miss. But whatever she ends up doing in the offseason or even during the 2027 WNBA season, one thing is likely true: Martin's best days are only ahead of her.
That's true if she goes overseas, where she can develop and hone her skills and come back to a WNBA that will have missed her. It's also true if she does end up coaching or working in basketball in another capacity; it's easy to focus just on playing, but plenty of athletes end up in enormously fulfilling roles off the court, or literally on the sidelines.
The 2026 season wasn't the easiest one for Martin. Not making the Valkyries' roster was a heavy blow, especially after she was drafted by the team as part of their expansion draft in December 2024. But she perservered, and played her way up from a development contract to a standard contract with the Sparks. Martin didn't get the minutes she wanted, but she was on a team — something that was important to her fans, of which there are many.
Those same people will be rooting for Martin wherever she ends up. There are plenty of European teams who could use her skill, and Martin would be in great company among other WNBA players woh made the same decision.
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