“Love My Iowa Girl”: Las Vegas Fans Echo Warm Sentiment for Rookie Kate Martin Ahead of NHL Game

The NHL team Vegas Golden Knights clashed against the Dallas Stars in round one of game 4 at the T-mobile Arena. As is the ritual, just moments ahead of the contest, there was a siren crank sounded by none other than the second-round pick in this year’s WNBA draft – Kate Martin. And fans couldn’t have been more excited for the same.

The Golden Knights’ Host Mark Shunock was present along with Martin, who was in the VGK jersey. Shunock as usual welcomed Martin with applause and a celebratory message.

Kate Martin receives a warm welcome from Mark Shunock and Las Vegas’s internet fans

Martin then got to the task of sounding the crank siren and used all of her strength, as the crowd cheered for her. This was seen as a sort of welcoming note for Martin who used to ply her trade for the Iowa Hawkeyes in the NCAA. The video of the same was posted on VGK’s Instagram account.

As for her draft, she was attending the WNBA 2024 ceremony to lend support to her former teammate Caitlin Clark when during the second round she got picked by the Las Vegas Aces. Hence, Martin was subsequently invited by the Las Vegas’s NHL franchise to show her allegiance to the city. And fans were ecstatic to witness the same.

“Money Martin!! Really hoping she makes the roster!,” one user commented. The Aces have won back-to-back championships and boast one of the best WNBA rosters. In such conditions, it will be really interesting to see whether Martin gets a good amount of playing time.

“Omg Kate in a Knights jersey 😍😍😍,” a netizen commented. As mentioned earlier, Martin was donning a Knights’ jersey which brought a lot of enthusiasm from the crowd.

“Love this energy, love my Iowa girl kate,” another fan commented. The user must have been following Martin’s game during her time with the Iowa Hawkeyes. Martin averaged a decent 13.1 points per match with 6.8 rebounds per contest during the 2023-24 NCAA season. It was her exemplary performances in the NCAA that helped her to get drafted in the cash-rich league.

“Glad her hair didn’t get caught. 👀,” another fan breathed a sigh of relief. While cranking the siren, Martin had her hair blowing from back to the front and for a moment it looked as if it would be caught in the siren. Fortunately, that wasn’t the case. This tweet in particular is proof that Las Vegas natives have accepted Martin as one of their own.

“Kate better be on the team,” one of the fans wants Martin to take the court this season. It proves that despite not being a big name in Iowa, Martin’s consistency and second-fiddle roles have been appreciated by all. 

Las Vegas Aces to play their preseason game soon

The Aces will be playing their preseason game against the Puerto Rico National Team on May 11. This clash will shed light on whether Martin is being looked at as a crucial player for the team this season or not. With the retirement of Candace Parker, there is a chance that Martin might be fielded in some of the games. There will be more clarity to it once the Aces kick off their preseason game.

Now that the Aces have accepted Martin as their star, fans would be waiting for her to give her usual blockbuster performances in the WNBA. Will Martin be able to make this year’s roster? What do you think? Let us know in the comments below.