Kate Martin Bio
Kate Marie Martin (born June 5, 2000) is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). A guard standing 6 feet 0 inches tall, she also competes in the women’s three-on-three league Unrivaled, where she plays for Breeze BC. Known for her leadership, high basketball IQ, and team-first approach, Martin has built a reputation as a steady floor general throughout her career.
Martin gained national recognition during her six seasons with the Iowa Hawkeyes, where she captained the program for four consecutive years. Selected 18th overall by the Las Vegas Aces in the 2024 WNBA draft, she has since continued her professional career in the league, including time with the Golden State Valkyries and a development contract with the Los Angeles Sparks.
Early Life and Background
Kate Marie Martin was born on June 5, 2000, and grew up in Granite City and Edwardsville, Illinois. She is the youngest of three children born to teachers Matt and Jill Martin. Her household was steeped in athletics, with her father serving as one of her earliest basketball coaches, leading her and her siblings’ teams through middle school. Martin started playing basketball at the age of five in local recreational leagues and pickup games at the YMCA.
Beginning in elementary school, Martin attended University of Iowa women’s basketball camps every summer and kept an Iowa poster above her childhood bed. She also played boys’ tackle football in elementary school and later took up volleyball, displaying her multi-sport versatility from a young age. In fourth grade, she joined her local Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) program and later played for Blue Star St. Louis throughout high school.
Martin attended Edwardsville High School in her hometown of Edwardsville, Illinois, where she played four years of varsity basketball under head coach Lori Blade. She also competed as an outside hitter on the volleyball team, helping lead her squad to 108 wins, two Southwestern Conference titles, and a sectional championship. Her coaches and family fostered a competitive, supportive environment that prepared her for collegiate basketball.
Path to Professional Basketball
Martin was first recruited by NCAA Division I basketball programs during her sophomore year of high school, receiving an early offer from Bradley. She continued to collect offers from programs including DePaul, Illinois, St. Louis, and Wisconsin. During her junior year, Iowa recruited her as a shooting guard and small forward, and Martin verbally committed to the Hawkeyes shortly after an official visit, signing her national letter of intent in November 2017.
Her path to Iowa was disrupted in June 2018, when she tore her left anterior cruciate ligament and lateral meniscus during a practice for the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association (IBCA) high school all-star game. The injury forced her to redshirt her first college season, and she later used the NCAA’s COVID-19 eligibility extension to play a sixth year. Across her time at Iowa, she captained the program for four straight seasons and started alongside Caitlin Clark for 139 consecutive games.
Martin’s final college season ended with a second consecutive national championship game appearance, as the Hawkeyes fell to South Carolina in 2024. She finished her Iowa career with 1,299 points, 756 rebounds, and 473 assists in 163 games. Declaring for the 2024 WNBA draft, she was selected 18th overall by the Las Vegas Aces and signed her rookie scale contract on April 22, 2024.
Kate Martin Career
Early Career (2019–2024)
After redshirting the 2018–19 season, Martin made her collegiate debut on November 7, 2019, coming off the bench in a win over Florida Atlantic. As a sophomore, she earned a starting role alongside incoming freshman Caitlin Clark and posted her first career double-double with 19 points and 11 assists in a win over Penn State. She was also named Iowa’s Big Ten Sportsmanship Award honoree for the 2020–21 season.
During her junior and senior seasons, Martin helped Iowa capture consecutive Big Ten tournament titles in 2022 and 2023, and she captained the Hawkeyes to the program’s first national championship game in 2023. In her graduate year, she led Iowa to a third straight Big Ten tournament title and a second straight national championship game, earning second-team All-Big Ten honors and the team’s Big Ten Sportsmanship Award for the fourth consecutive year.
WNBA Career (2024–Present)
Martin was selected by the Las Vegas Aces in the 2024 WNBA draft and made her regular-season debut on May 18, 2024. She appeared in 34 games during her rookie season, growing into a reliable role player, and her jersey became one of the best-selling in the WNBA. On December 6, 2024, she was selected by the Golden State Valkyries in the WNBA expansion draft.
With the Valkyries in 2025, Martin averaged 6.2 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.0 assist per game, helping Golden State become the first expansion team in WNBA history to qualify for the playoffs in its inaugural season. The Valkyries were swept by the Minnesota Lynx in the first round. On May 7, 2026, the Valkyries waived Martin, and on May 10, 2026, she signed a player development contract with the Los Angeles Sparks.
Unrivaled (2025–Present)
On October 28, 2024, Martin was announced as a participant in the inaugural 2025 season of Unrivaled, the women’s three-on-three league founded by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart. She played for the Laces during the 2025 season, gaining additional high-level experience during the WNBA offseason.
On November 5, 2025, Martin was drafted by Breeze BC for the 2026 Unrivaled season, continuing her three-on-three career. Her involvement in Unrivaled reflects her ongoing commitment to playing year-round and developing her game across multiple formats.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among Martin’s most memorable achievements are her two consecutive national championship game appearances with Iowa in 2023 and 2024, the first such appearances in program history. She became the first player in Iowa women’s basketball history to record 900-plus points, 500-plus rebounds, 400-plus assists, 120-plus steals, and 60-plus blocks. In 2025, she helped the Golden State Valkyries become the first WNBA expansion team to reach the playoffs in its inaugural season.
Kate Martin Career Wins
While Martin’s individual statistical totals in the WNBA continue to develop, her impact has been measured as much by team success and leadership as by traditional counting stats. As a role player for the Las Vegas Aces during her rookie year in 2024, she helped contribute to a championship-contending roster while growing into a dependable presence off the bench.
Unrivaled Highlights
Martin has played two Unrivaled seasons across two different clubs, joining the Laces for the 2025 season and being drafted by Breeze BC for the 2026 season. Her selection by Breeze BC reflects her continued standing among the league’s respected players and provides another competitive platform to refine her game.
Other Wins and Performances
At the collegiate level, Martin helped Iowa capture three consecutive Big Ten tournament titles in 2022, 2023, and 2024, anchoring the Hawkeyes alongside Caitlin Clark throughout that run. She also contributed to historic high school success at Edwardsville, including a 28–0 eighth-grade state championship season and four consecutive Southwestern Conference titles during her varsity career.
Kate Martin Family
Family Background and Basketball Lineage
Martin’s family is deeply rooted in athletics and education. Her father, Matt Martin, played college football at Western Illinois University, and her mother, Jill Martin, is a teacher. She has an older sister, Kennedy, who played basketball at Truman State University, and an older brother, Trevor. Her maternal aunt, Julie Fitzpatrick, is married to Iowa associate head coach Jan Jensen, tying Martin closely to the Hawkeyes program.
Many of Martin’s relatives are former college athletes. Her aunt Julie Fitzpatrick scored more than 1,700 career points playing basketball at Drake University, while other relatives competed in football and basketball at Drake, St. Ambrose, and Western Illinois. Her maternal cousin, Laney Fitzpatrick, ran cross country and middle distance at the University of Iowa. Martin also grew up with NFL defensive end A. J. Epenesa, whose football and track teams her father coached at Edwardsville High School.
Personal Life
Martin completed her bachelor’s degree in sports and recreation management at the University of Iowa in May 2022, and went on to pursue a Master of Arts degree in the same field. Long admired by her Iowa coaches and teammates for her basketball intelligence, she has been widely praised for her leadership, accountability, and communication skills, leading to her selection for the 2024 Women’s Basketball Coaches Association “So You Want To Be A Coach” class.
Nicknamed “The Glue” by Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder for her team-first mentality, Martin has spoken openly about her aspirations to coach at the collegiate level after her playing career. She is represented by Excel Sports Management and has partnered with brands such as American Eagle Outfitters, Athleta, and Samsung, in addition to her earlier name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals with Iowa and Quad Cities businesses.
2025 Season Performance
Kate Martin’s 2025 season was defined by her role with the Golden State Valkyries during the WNBA’s newest franchise’s inaugural year. She appeared regularly for the Valkyries, contributing 6.2 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.0 assist per game, marking clear growth from her 2.6 points and 1.6 rebounds per game as a rookie. Her steady play helped Golden State become the first expansion team in WNBA history to qualify for the playoffs in its first season.
The Valkyries were eliminated in the first round of the 2025 playoffs, swept by the Minnesota Lynx, but the campaign was widely viewed as a successful foundation for the franchise. Martin’s career-high 21-point performance, including 14 fourth-quarter points in a narrow loss to the New York Liberty on June 25, 2025, highlighted her offensive growth within Golden State’s system.
Looking beyond 2025, Martin transitioned to the Los Angeles Sparks on a player development contract in May 2026, while continuing her three-on-three career with Breeze BC in Unrivaled. Her path reflects her dual focus on continuing to develop as a professional player while laying the groundwork for a future in coaching.
