As the Las Vegas Aces lock horns against the Chicago Sky, much of a spotlight is on the rookie player Kate Martin. However, the former Iowa guard has not got much playing time on the court but the support from her alma mater associates has never faded. Something that was once again highlighted as Martin had a special someone to cheer for her in the game against the Sky.

It was Iowa head coach Jan Jensen who traveled all the way to Chicago to back her former players not only including rookie Kate Martin, but also Iowa alumni Megan Gustafson as well. A post on X shared Jensen’s picture and wrote, “Yall  @IowaWBB fandom runs deep Jan Jensen is at the Sky vs Aces game to support her former players Megan Gustafson and Kate Martin and yall she has a crowd around her wanting to take photos.”

And it seems Kate Martin too became the focal point before the game as her teammate, Gustafson, was spotted wearing a T-shirt with ‘America needs Kate Martin’ written on it. It would be interesting to see how Martin will perform amidst the love showering from her college associates. She has averaged three points along with 1.8 rebounds and an assist per game so far.

Kate Martin was selected as the eighteenth overall pick in the second round of this year WNBA’s draft. While it’s true that she has averaged a mere 12.6 minutes per game in her debut season, she used to be a regular starter during her college time in Iowa. Let’s discuss her performance at Iowa and the relationship she shares with their current head coach.

Kate Martin at Iowa and her connections

The Iowa Hawkeyes had two of the current WNBA rookies playing for them until last year, which includes the ROTY contender Caitlin Clark and the Las Vegas Aces player Kate Martin. In fact, Kate Martin was the captain of the Hawkeyes in the 2020-21 season. However, she made her debut back in 2019.

When three of Iowa’s 2019–20 starters graduated, Kate Martin stepped up into a starting role, joining forces with the incoming freshman sensation, Caitlin Clark. She went on to play five seasons for the team and developed an emotional bond with the players. Martin featured in 163 games for the Hawkeyes and averaged 8 points per game. There, she had Jan Jensen who used to serve as an assistant coach of the team before taking the lead role this year.

And interestingly, Martin also had a family relationship with Jensen as the Iowa head coach is married to the rookie’s maternal aunt. Also, Martin’s current teammate Megan Gustafson shared one year of her college game with the rookie as she graduated in 2019. And now when Martin navigates her rookie season with the Las Vegas Aces, that bond remains strong, evident in the continued encouragement from her former coach and teammates.

Stay tuned for more such updates. And join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show”. Our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.