SAN FRANCISCO – The Golden State Valkyries selected 11 players in Friday’s WNBA expansion draft, ranging from 20-year-old French guard Carla Leite to grizzled veteran Tammy Fagbenle.
No one even came close to the kind of enthusiastic cheers of approval that generated Kate Martin’s name when she was announced as the Valkyries’ pick by the Las Vegas Aces.
The 24-year-old Iowa alum played last season with Aces coach for Golden State Natalie Nakas and fits the mold of a player she and Valkyries general manager Nyanin Ohemaa say were looking for to try to build an instant winner.
“There are proven veterans, very good and versatile positions and very good goalkeepers,” Martin said. “Coach Nat and the front office are building a competitive team the way they want it to be and you want to be a part of it. »
Nakase has repeatedly stated that she wants to add “contenders” to the team, who were selected from a pool of undrafted players by the other 12 WNBA teams. Each franchise was allowed to protect six players.
The Aces declined to include Martin on their protected list, making the second-year forward an easy choice for the Valkyries front office.
“I had a very close relationship with him when I was with the Aces,” Nakase said. “He’s a real man, but he’s also changing the culture. »
The Illinois native said he had no idea he would be a Valkyrie until the day before the draft.
“The process can be a little worrying and we were left in the dark for a very long time,” Martin said. “I didn’t know if I was going to be released in Vegas, if I was safe or not, or if I was going to move to San Francisco. »
Martin made a name for herself and a devoted fan base at Iowa, where she was a versatile defender and knockdown shooter alongside Caitlin Clark on hockey teams that reached back-to-back games for the national title.
She then defied the odds as a second-round pick of the then-defending WNBA champion Aces, who produced superstar A’Jay Wilson and All-Stars Kelsey Plum, Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young.
Not only did Martin make the team, but he started twice and became a fan favorite, playing in 34 games.
“I think being a part of the Aces, which is already an established program that knows how to win and has won a lot of games, has served me well,” Martin said. “I’m going to take that winning mentality and culture and take it to San Francisco, like the rest of my teammates. »
Martin said he’s not too worried about whether he’ll play a bigger offensive role than the 2.6 points per game he averaged 11.5 minutes per game for Vegas a year ago. season.
The guard, who also plays in the new non-competitive 3X3 basketball league, is focusing more on getting to know his new teammates while improving his own skills during the offseason.
“It’s really cool to be a part of history and it’s something I can talk about for the rest of my life,” Martin said. “I will be able to tell my kids one day that I was part of an expansion draft and the first WNBA team in San Francisco. »
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