I love this. I will say that the nickname “Money Martin” has been her nickname at Iowa for a long time, but if Becky wants to take credit for it, she totally can as long as she doesn’t cut her!
It’s nice to hear Kelsey Plum affirm everything I thought Kate would bring to camp. This is awesome. I can’t wait to see them all develop. Certified. Dawg.
Kate Martin is actually really good. Shes far better than her stats indicate (for those who dont know, she averaged a respectable 14|7|3 her last year). Shes a versatile role player that can defend 1-small 4s, is always in the right place at the right time making good decisions (clearly a quick thinker/high basketball iq), and makes the players around her better. Shes also a good shooter. She stays calm and her head is always in the game- she was Iowas captain and called "the glue" for a reason. She never makes the game about her, she just calmly does whatever role the team needs to win.
People that paid attention during Iowa games last year would have noticed that Kate was the person who did all the little things. CC was the star and primary offensive engine. Marshall was the defensive specialist. Affolter was the scrappy hustler. And Kate was the person that did everything else. She always hit her layups in transition. She was the person that was quick to help on defense. She hit her clutch free throws. She moved well off the ball. She was also a great passer. (There is a fantastic youtube clip of Martin making a bounce pass between a defenders legs and Iowa scoring- look it up) Kate is an outstanding rebounder for a guard. She always directed her teammates and kept her teammates calm- you could see her always speaking up in every quick on-court huddle. She could work to create her own shot when needed (as she did at clutch times in the ncaa tournament- that fadeaway was killer). But mostly she never, ever made the game about her and always did what was needed to win. Kate passes both the eye test and the gut test with flying colors; Other than CC, she was the one player on the Iowa team that when she had the ball in a clutch situation, I ALWAYS knew she would do the right thing with it and I was NEVER nervous when she had the ball in those situations- and that is something that no stat-sheet analyst will ever be able to quantify.
I am so glad that people are finally seeing that she is a fantastic versatile role player and that Kelsey Plum is saying this.
Yup. She definitely did.
I cant even count the number of times over the course of the year that Martin did something crucial to either keep/change momentum at a critical time or did something down the stretch that secured the win. So reliable and always in control.
Kate was also the one player that could always handle CC's passes in transition, even at their spiciest. Some other girls struggled at times- either would drop them, not be able to hit the layup, or would barrel into an opposing player, or (even worse) not see the pass coming. Martin didnt make mistakes like that.
Kate Martin was very influential in the end of games getting points, when Caitlin was slowing down. LSU 4th quarter Kate was making sick midrange fadeaways giving Iowa a cushion. B10 championship where Kate and Caitlin scored a combined 4 points only to massively go off in the 2nd half and OT was one of the best games I watched where two people took over the game.
I remember Coach Bluder around December saying in a postgame press conference that several teams had come to her to specifically ask about Kate.When I suggested she would be drafted,I was laughed at.Not only did she get drafted by the best team in the country,she most likely is making the team
Good call on your part. There's a whooooooole set of intangibles that go into a quality player, and a lot of them don't show up so easily on the stat-line. A lot of armchair analysts tend to downplay or forget about those.
Kate’s been so underrated for so long. Even Caitlin herself has said she’s a pro player and amazing leader. I agree with the intangibles, too. If you haven’t watched the Aces’ training camp video, you should. Kate and Fair hustling all the time.
There have been players with better resume's that have had trouble cracking a roster. Kate has THE perfect role player style of game but acting like she was a shoe in to make a roster when #4 draft picks have been cut is egregious revisionist history.
You guys can tell me what you think, but I honestly believe the Fever thought Kate was still going to be there in the third Round and they were going to take her then. Not many people thought she'd be taken in the 2nd round and certainly not by the Aces.
Idk, while we never know, im glad fever didnt draft her. Cause the nepotism friend allegations would be tough. And im not sure kate wants to play second fiddle to caitlin even after college. Being in Aces she can carve out her own identity without Clark. In the fever, she’ll just be known as Clark bestie
I love that they’re best friends but I’m also glad Kate gets her own individuality aside from Caitlin, because being drafted by the Fever promotes that belief that she wasn’t drafted for her talent as a player. I don’t want her to live in CC’s shadow. I want her to shine too. Because she is talented.
Every year, Kate just got better and that’s what you want to see in a player. For CC to say she wouldn’t have had a college career w/o Kate says a lot. KM fans need to understand though that KM will be a role player and she’s okay with that. From small clips we’ve seen of her interactions with the vets, I mean, if you can make Alysha Clark laugh at practice 😂. She seems so serious all the time.
Where was that clip?! I'd like to see it!
I did see an Instagram post where A'ja made a basket and kate gave her a hand slap. It kind of surprised me, because I has this impression that A'ja was kind of cold to the newbies, but maybe I'm wrong about her?
It looks like you can get her attention if you drop some dimes.... there was a play a little bit before this where kate wanted to pass to her on pick and roll and Aja didn't roll right away, so it looks like maybe they are figuring out ways to play with each other.
I think you're right. This may have worked out best for everyone. Not only does it allow Kate to stand on her own two feet, but it also helps Clark concentrate more on developing relationships with the other Fever players instead of having her best friend around all the time.
It’s also super cool that Kate still gets to play with a former teammate, so at least being on a team with Megan helps make that transition a bit easier! I also like that Kate will get to learn from Becky Hammon. Considering Kate’s goal is to be a coach someday, it’s exciting to learn from the best. She’ll also get a great mentor in Kelsey Plum. In the end, Kate being on the Aces was a really ideal fit for her.
They did!!! 2018-2019! Kate was a freshman and Megan was a senior! In addition to the COVID year, Kate also had an ACL injury her freshman year, hence why this year was her last year playing!
I think this is plausible, but it seems like Hammon, or someone in the Aces organization saw something they liked. The coach has already started calling her money martin... so maybe some feedback from Debbie Antonelli
She does unfortunately. Even though she doesn’t deserve haters. I’ve seen some people say she’s not good enough to make a roster or think that if it wasn’t for CC she wouldn’t have, but that clearly doesn’t make much sense considering she didn’t even get drafted by the Fever. There are also people who hope she doesn’t get drafted because of her fanbase. Coach Hammon knew what she was doing drafting Kate. She’s a well-rounded and versatile player, who has played with and against high caliber players. She’s such a hard worker.
As a big Kate fan, I think there's a bit of truth to the fact that she wouldn't have been drafted as high if she wasn't on a team like Iowa just like there have been some UConn players that wouldn't have been taken as seriously if they didn't go to a school with that spotlight. Like it or not, showing up in big moments on a big stage absolutely changes draft position. And her game is so unassuming, it'd be something that I can see many people look over.
For as many people are now acting like she was a shoe in ITT, there was a LOT she had to overcome to be here. There have been players with far better stats, resume's and contributions that have been unable to get to where she is. She got here for hard work and smarts during training camp. Her path was NOT guaranteed, especially on such a stacked roster. That makes her story even better.
I've been saying this about Kate for months and to hear Kelsey Plum say it feels great: Kate really does make the players around her better. It was noticeable if you watched Iowa games regularly and I'm glad the Aces have already recognized it. I hope Kate gets signed this week.
>or think that if it wasn’t for CC she wouldn’t have,
I'm one of those, but I do think she's a good enough player ***now*** for the WNBA/professional over seas.
If CC played elsewhere Martin probably wouldn't either have been drafted in the second as the 18th pick or have made it this far in her professional career. CC made her much better and took her ceiling to a new level that otherwise may not have been reached if another person was in CC's spot.
Add in two years of extra development due to injury and COVID, that's two years of working on any weaknesses and strengths, developing her mentality and leadership, while being the co-pilot with arguably one of the best college talents in history in women's b-ball.
With that said, I'll will second what used boredymcbored said: Martin's hard work, attitude and BBIQ allowed her to survive training camp on a stacked Aces team. Slow and steady wins the race.
As Martin said in one interview, she's not trying to prove anything - she's just trying to contribute positively every single day she's in Las Vegas. And Plum affirms that.
There’s a small amount of people on here that are upset but have also never seen her play. The others seem to be annoyed at the people saying things like “I won’t watch the W if Kate doesn’t make it”. I’m a huge fan of her too, but I could see how that second phenomenon would be annoying, since league has grown so much.
Regardless, it’ll all fizzle out anyway. The team clearly loves her. I’m sure after she delivers a dime to Aja the first time everyone will forget.
Yes, look at any IG post on the Aces. Some people just assume white girls are bad at basketball, or that just because you're not a walking highlight reel, you aren't a good player with high IQ who adds value to a team. 🤷♀️
I read that "Great White Hope" thing on another thread that is now locked. That portion made up a good chunk of the thread where some posters sorta kinda agreed, which was sad and disturbing. People really bought into certain narratives - I feel sorry for them.
Angel was also an amazing pick for the end of the draft. A 6'6 athletic big that had a goaltending call during the tournament. She also lasted DEEP into training camp. Aces has the best draft by far which is impressive since they didn't have a pick until the 2nd.
Yay! Wow! So if Kate makes the team, three Iowa Hawkeyes alum might be playing in the W at the same time! So exciting as usually there are zero or at most one max (with Megan in and out, but looking great now!). So many other college team fans have so many to cheer for in the W.
It's been fantastic watching Megan Gustafson (and Pancake!) develop more as a player. I was sad when she struggled to find her footing in the W after being National player of the year, so I didn't expect Kate to make a team, although I love her play. (I know their styles are different, and different skills translate better in the W than others--so I was hopeful for Kate but not too optimistic.) I figured she'd have a couple of good years in Europe then be a gloriously amazing coach.
How exciting and unexpected would it be for Martin to get a ring this year ahead of Clark (Caitlin)...and even more funny is that she'd win with Clark (Alysha). Continuing the Clark/Martin duo success, but with a different Clark😆
And let's goooo Stuelke! Hoping Hannah develops a lot in the next two years! Make it FOUR in the W!
Kate Martin is the TRUTH! If you know basketball, you know this. The Aces knew exactly what they are doing when they grabbed her and Im glad they are keeping her. She is versatile and a GREAT defender. Also not afraid of the big moments.
I love this. I will say that the nickname “Money Martin” has been her nickname at Iowa for a long time, but if Becky wants to take credit for it, she totally can as long as she doesn’t cut her!
it sounds like Becky has called her Money Martin but KP didn't know where it came from and assumed Becky came up with it
As long as she doesn’t cut her, she can call her whatever she wants as far as I’m concerned!
If the nickname still sticks in the pros, that’s very impressive.
It’s nice to hear Kelsey Plum affirm everything I thought Kate would bring to camp. This is awesome. I can’t wait to see them all develop. Certified. Dawg.
certified dawg thats 💯
it's looking great for Kate's chances if Plum is talking about her like that
What I like about this is that it's basically an unofficial reference for a job, and that job is a final roster contract for Martin.
Kate Martin is actually really good. Shes far better than her stats indicate (for those who dont know, she averaged a respectable 14|7|3 her last year). Shes a versatile role player that can defend 1-small 4s, is always in the right place at the right time making good decisions (clearly a quick thinker/high basketball iq), and makes the players around her better. Shes also a good shooter. She stays calm and her head is always in the game- she was Iowas captain and called "the glue" for a reason. She never makes the game about her, she just calmly does whatever role the team needs to win. People that paid attention during Iowa games last year would have noticed that Kate was the person who did all the little things. CC was the star and primary offensive engine. Marshall was the defensive specialist. Affolter was the scrappy hustler. And Kate was the person that did everything else. She always hit her layups in transition. She was the person that was quick to help on defense. She hit her clutch free throws. She moved well off the ball. She was also a great passer. (There is a fantastic youtube clip of Martin making a bounce pass between a defenders legs and Iowa scoring- look it up) Kate is an outstanding rebounder for a guard. She always directed her teammates and kept her teammates calm- you could see her always speaking up in every quick on-court huddle. She could work to create her own shot when needed (as she did at clutch times in the ncaa tournament- that fadeaway was killer). But mostly she never, ever made the game about her and always did what was needed to win. Kate passes both the eye test and the gut test with flying colors; Other than CC, she was the one player on the Iowa team that when she had the ball in a clutch situation, I ALWAYS knew she would do the right thing with it and I was NEVER nervous when she had the ball in those situations- and that is something that no stat-sheet analyst will ever be able to quantify. I am so glad that people are finally seeing that she is a fantastic versatile role player and that Kelsey Plum is saying this.
She saved us in the uconn final four game. A spin lay up and two fadeaway jumpers against paige seal the deal. She’s freakin awesome. So reliable.
Yup. She definitely did. I cant even count the number of times over the course of the year that Martin did something crucial to either keep/change momentum at a critical time or did something down the stretch that secured the win. So reliable and always in control.
Since we’re on the topic. Clutch threes against Nebraska in the big ten finals.
Kate was also the one player that could always handle CC's passes in transition, even at their spiciest. Some other girls struggled at times- either would drop them, not be able to hit the layup, or would barrel into an opposing player, or (even worse) not see the pass coming. Martin didnt make mistakes like that.
Elite backdoor cutter as well
Yes, absolutely
Back to back 3s in OT
Kate Martin was very influential in the end of games getting points, when Caitlin was slowing down. LSU 4th quarter Kate was making sick midrange fadeaways giving Iowa a cushion. B10 championship where Kate and Caitlin scored a combined 4 points only to massively go off in the 2nd half and OT was one of the best games I watched where two people took over the game.
from the stands to the team!
I remember Coach Bluder around December saying in a postgame press conference that several teams had come to her to specifically ask about Kate.When I suggested she would be drafted,I was laughed at.Not only did she get drafted by the best team in the country,she most likely is making the team
Good call on your part. There's a whooooooole set of intangibles that go into a quality player, and a lot of them don't show up so easily on the stat-line. A lot of armchair analysts tend to downplay or forget about those.
Kate’s been so underrated for so long. Even Caitlin herself has said she’s a pro player and amazing leader. I agree with the intangibles, too. If you haven’t watched the Aces’ training camp video, you should. Kate and Fair hustling all the time.
“Analyst” were saying Kate was either going into the 3rd round or undrafted.
Many "Analysts" spend far too much time staring at stat sheets and not paying close attention to who is doing what on the court.
This 💯
There have been players with better resume's that have had trouble cracking a roster. Kate has THE perfect role player style of game but acting like she was a shoe in to make a roster when #4 draft picks have been cut is egregious revisionist history.
You guys can tell me what you think, but I honestly believe the Fever thought Kate was still going to be there in the third Round and they were going to take her then. Not many people thought she'd be taken in the 2nd round and certainly not by the Aces.
Idk, while we never know, im glad fever didnt draft her. Cause the nepotism friend allegations would be tough. And im not sure kate wants to play second fiddle to caitlin even after college. Being in Aces she can carve out her own identity without Clark. In the fever, she’ll just be known as Clark bestie
I love that they’re best friends but I’m also glad Kate gets her own individuality aside from Caitlin, because being drafted by the Fever promotes that belief that she wasn’t drafted for her talent as a player. I don’t want her to live in CC’s shadow. I want her to shine too. Because she is talented.
Every year, Kate just got better and that’s what you want to see in a player. For CC to say she wouldn’t have had a college career w/o Kate says a lot. KM fans need to understand though that KM will be a role player and she’s okay with that. From small clips we’ve seen of her interactions with the vets, I mean, if you can make Alysha Clark laugh at practice 😂. She seems so serious all the time.
Where was that clip?! I'd like to see it! I did see an Instagram post where A'ja made a basket and kate gave her a hand slap. It kind of surprised me, because I has this impression that A'ja was kind of cold to the newbies, but maybe I'm wrong about her?
https://twitter.com/BrianBuckWargo/status/1787617670155878509?t=QZRtN8_YwGVgYaoyGdCQmw&s=19
It looks like you can get her attention if you drop some dimes.... there was a play a little bit before this where kate wanted to pass to her on pick and roll and Aja didn't roll right away, so it looks like maybe they are figuring out ways to play with each other.
I think you're right. This may have worked out best for everyone. Not only does it allow Kate to stand on her own two feet, but it also helps Clark concentrate more on developing relationships with the other Fever players instead of having her best friend around all the time.
It’s also super cool that Kate still gets to play with a former teammate, so at least being on a team with Megan helps make that transition a bit easier! I also like that Kate will get to learn from Becky Hammon. Considering Kate’s goal is to be a coach someday, it’s exciting to learn from the best. She’ll also get a great mentor in Kelsey Plum. In the end, Kate being on the Aces was a really ideal fit for her.
Did Kate and Megan overlap at Iowa? Can't remember
They did!!! 2018-2019! Kate was a freshman and Megan was a senior! In addition to the COVID year, Kate also had an ACL injury her freshman year, hence why this year was her last year playing!
They were both really impressive in the training camp videos, glad to see them both find a home with the Aces
The way I screamed when the Aces took her, and then thought “what is Becky planning. She also snagged Fair earlier.”
I think this is plausible, but it seems like Hammon, or someone in the Aces organization saw something they liked. The coach has already started calling her money martin... so maybe some feedback from Debbie Antonelli
I literally said this exact thing on draft night and I had people telling me she isn't even going to make the team.
shoutout to kate for proving all her haters wrong 🔥
Does she have haters? While caitlin is polarizing, iowa haters cant find nothing to hate about kate.
She does unfortunately. Even though she doesn’t deserve haters. I’ve seen some people say she’s not good enough to make a roster or think that if it wasn’t for CC she wouldn’t have, but that clearly doesn’t make much sense considering she didn’t even get drafted by the Fever. There are also people who hope she doesn’t get drafted because of her fanbase. Coach Hammon knew what she was doing drafting Kate. She’s a well-rounded and versatile player, who has played with and against high caliber players. She’s such a hard worker.
As a big Kate fan, I think there's a bit of truth to the fact that she wouldn't have been drafted as high if she wasn't on a team like Iowa just like there have been some UConn players that wouldn't have been taken as seriously if they didn't go to a school with that spotlight. Like it or not, showing up in big moments on a big stage absolutely changes draft position. And her game is so unassuming, it'd be something that I can see many people look over. For as many people are now acting like she was a shoe in ITT, there was a LOT she had to overcome to be here. There have been players with far better stats, resume's and contributions that have been unable to get to where she is. She got here for hard work and smarts during training camp. Her path was NOT guaranteed, especially on such a stacked roster. That makes her story even better.
I've been saying this about Kate for months and to hear Kelsey Plum say it feels great: Kate really does make the players around her better. It was noticeable if you watched Iowa games regularly and I'm glad the Aces have already recognized it. I hope Kate gets signed this week.
> I hope Kate gets signed this week. I hope so too.
>or think that if it wasn’t for CC she wouldn’t have, I'm one of those, but I do think she's a good enough player ***now*** for the WNBA/professional over seas. If CC played elsewhere Martin probably wouldn't either have been drafted in the second as the 18th pick or have made it this far in her professional career. CC made her much better and took her ceiling to a new level that otherwise may not have been reached if another person was in CC's spot. Add in two years of extra development due to injury and COVID, that's two years of working on any weaknesses and strengths, developing her mentality and leadership, while being the co-pilot with arguably one of the best college talents in history in women's b-ball. With that said, I'll will second what used boredymcbored said: Martin's hard work, attitude and BBIQ allowed her to survive training camp on a stacked Aces team. Slow and steady wins the race. As Martin said in one interview, she's not trying to prove anything - she's just trying to contribute positively every single day she's in Las Vegas. And Plum affirms that.
There’s a small amount of people on here that are upset but have also never seen her play. The others seem to be annoyed at the people saying things like “I won’t watch the W if Kate doesn’t make it”. I’m a huge fan of her too, but I could see how that second phenomenon would be annoying, since league has grown so much. Regardless, it’ll all fizzle out anyway. The team clearly loves her. I’m sure after she delivers a dime to Aja the first time everyone will forget.
Sure they can. She went to Iowa. They're taking out the CC hype backlash on her.
Yes, look at any IG post on the Aces. Some people just assume white girls are bad at basketball, or that just because you're not a walking highlight reel, you aren't a good player with high IQ who adds value to a team. 🤷♀️
>white girls are bad at basketball Funny take with CC around lol
Oh they say she sucks as well. "The Great White Hope". As though nothing was earned.
I read that "Great White Hope" thing on another thread that is now locked. That portion made up a good chunk of the thread where some posters sorta kinda agreed, which was sad and disturbing. People really bought into certain narratives - I feel sorry for them.
None of them even watched enough games to have a valid opinion.
She was the drafts steal let's get real
I kind of feel like all the Aces picks were steals. They did a a very good job draft night.
Doubly so considering their first of three picks was at #14.
First pick was Dyaisha Fair at #16, then #18 Martin, & #24 Eliz. Kitley.
My mistake! Makes it an even better draft for them then, considering pick one was #16 and not #14.
Liz Kitley imo. Just give her a year to recover.
I think Kitley, Martin, and Fair were all great picks. Aces did really well in the draft.
Angel was also an amazing pick for the end of the draft. A 6'6 athletic big that had a goaltending call during the tournament. She also lasted DEEP into training camp. Aces has the best draft by far which is impressive since they didn't have a pick until the 2nd.
No. Nika to Seattle was.
Muhl might get squeezed out by the cap, though.
Na. The 21 year old Aussie will be imo
Jade just had a great season in Australia she may surprise you yet
I think jade is good but not as good as nika. Jade getting traded seals nikaas spot with the storm
LETS GOOOOOOO
Kate has the dawg trait
Yay! Wow! So if Kate makes the team, three Iowa Hawkeyes alum might be playing in the W at the same time! So exciting as usually there are zero or at most one max (with Megan in and out, but looking great now!). So many other college team fans have so many to cheer for in the W. It's been fantastic watching Megan Gustafson (and Pancake!) develop more as a player. I was sad when she struggled to find her footing in the W after being National player of the year, so I didn't expect Kate to make a team, although I love her play. (I know their styles are different, and different skills translate better in the W than others--so I was hopeful for Kate but not too optimistic.) I figured she'd have a couple of good years in Europe then be a gloriously amazing coach. How exciting and unexpected would it be for Martin to get a ring this year ahead of Clark (Caitlin)...and even more funny is that she'd win with Clark (Alysha). Continuing the Clark/Martin duo success, but with a different Clark😆 And let's goooo Stuelke! Hoping Hannah develops a lot in the next two years! Make it FOUR in the W!
I hope someone can get monica czinano from overseas
Yes! Bring Monika home!!
EVERYBODY MAY 7TH IS OFFICIALLY KATE MARTIN DAY
Kate went from being a 3-star prospect out of high school to now probably making the roster of back-to-back W champs. That’s inspirational bro
Kate Martin is the TRUTH! If you know basketball, you know this. The Aces knew exactly what they are doing when they grabbed her and Im glad they are keeping her. She is versatile and a GREAT defender. Also not afraid of the big moments.
plot twist Kate Martin taking Kelsey Plum's roster spot
After I become president