Things are pretty swell when you are the NCAA Division I all-time leading scorer–Caitlin Clark. After conquering the college basketball world, the 6-foot guard is now headlining every possible record in the WNBA as a debutant. Having said that, this kind of popularity isn’t limited to her as her Iowa teammate and Aces rookie Kate Martin is turning quite a few heads herself. That is regardless of the numbers she has pulled over the years. Something she herself accepts as well.

Often being considered a second fiddle to Caitlin Clark, Kate Martin has proven that she can hold her own with the Las Vegas Aces. The list of people who believe that includes the team’s veteran small forward Alysha Clark. Commending her contributions at Iowa, Clark also opines that Martin is a valuable asset for the 2xWNBA champions. But, she wanted to know if the 24-year-old thought the same.

To this Martin responds, “I feel like I don’t value my worth or how I play the game based on points or stats. Like I never have done that. For me it’s always like ‘Am I executing the offense the right way. Am I executing the defensive schemes.'”

Evidently, Kate Martin has started in a total of 139 games out of her 163 appearances at Iowa. In addition to this, she had an average of 26.2 minutes spent on the hardwood. However, that has been reduced to just 13 in her 25 games at the Aces in which she has started only in a single game. But that doesn’t mean she is not growing as a pro.

Martin reflected on it by saying, “When I go back and watch film, I’m like Oh My God. I’m frustrated when I do one minor thing wrong. That’s what I value. I don’t care if I make or miss a three.” 

Despite not such promising numbers as a rookie, Martin still has her impact on the franchise. It’s because she is able to recognize her shortcomings and subsequently work on them. Expressing herself in this regard, she further adds, “I really define myself on ‘Did I go hard every single possession? Did I execute? Was I a good teammate? What did I cheer on the bench when I wasn’t in? Did I have a good attitude? Things like that. All things that I can control. Then you’re not gonna have many bad games because you can control most of these things.” 

Perhaps this is the reason why Kate Martin is headlining a major off-court development.

Kate Martin soaking in the popularity

It appears that being the third rookie to have sold out jerseys wasn’t enough for Kate Martin. She also wants to play a hand in the whopping 500% surge in WNBA merchandise sales. As it turns out, after Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Sabrina Ionescu, Kate Martin is the popular choice in the Player-specific section.

These Fanatics’ rankings place her above her Aces teammate and the 2023 WNBA Finals MVP A’ja Wilson who is 5th. This is apart from the fact that she is one of the names instrumental in a staggering 1,000% increase in the Player-specific column in the month the July.

There is no denying that Kate Martin is slowly making a name for herself. In the near future, one only hopes her on-court growth is reflected in her numbers as well.

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.