For Kate Martin, being picked up as the eighteenth overall pick in the second round by the Las Vegas Aces was a huge surprise. She most likely attended the ceremony in support of her former Iowa teammate and No. 1 pick, Caitlin Clark. It has been four months since, signing the unexpected Aces’ rookie scale contract, but it seems Martin is still struggling to prove her worth in the league.

On August 23rd, Las Vegas Aces guard Kate Martin joined Iowa News Now host Owen Siebring to discuss her season in the WNBA and the goals ahead. While she aims for a playoff with her team, individually, Martin is looking to find her foot on the ground. Coming off a remarkable college season, the transition has sure been a learning experience for Martin. No matter her 16.2 points and 5.9 rebounds average before, as a part of the Hawkeyes’ celebrated trio, the guard had much to learn.

“The WNBA shows you your weaknesses really fast, but it also shows you a lot of strengths,” she says.

For her, there’s a lot of scope for improvement in her gameplay. “I want to work on being a better ball handler, able to create and get to the rim, get by really quick defenders. Everybody’s bigger, faster, and stronger in this league, so obviously that’s going to be a major emphasis as well,” Martin added, revealing her current goals.

Sure enough, all these efforts are aimed at gaining the attention of her own team’s coach, Becky Hammon. Before the Olympics, Martin averaged 13 minutes per game on the court with the ability to score 3.1 points and grab 1.9 rebounds. However, after the break, Becky Hammon isn’t relying much on Martin.

Kate Martin, despite having calibre, is left off

In the last three games, she has hit the hardwood twice, and that too for a mere three minutes. In the game versus the New York Liberty, she returned with a rebound. In the next, she did not score. But that is not to say Martin is without her strengths.

According to Martin herself, she’s a sharpshooter. “I can play with anybody, and I’m a really good shooter. I find myself in good positions a lot, and being able to knock down an open three is super important whenever you have such great players surrounding you,” she said.

Martin boasts a three-point shooting percentage of 39.6%, with an average of 0.8-2.1 shots per contest. It’s just that she’s not getting enough time to showcase her skills on the court. In the last 20 games so far, her maximum time on the court was 32 minutes, during which she went 3-for-3 on three-pointers and scored 13 points in a game versus the Sparks.

Whatever little time on court, Martin ensures to focus on giving her best. The guard reveals that it is not stats that matter much to her, but how meticulous she has been with her game. Did she execute? Dis she miss a step? Was she a better teammate? are all the questions Martin would rather ask herself. “She just doesn’t make mistakes,” Hammon says, acknowledging Martin.

While one awaits her time on court, her calibre is enough for fans to dote over. This shows as her jersey stands as the fourth highest-selling in the league so far. What do you think? Will Kate Martin be able to accomplish her goals? Comment down below!

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.