In women’s basketball, some stars light up every scoreboard and headline. Others, like Kate Martin, are the power source quietly flipping the switch behind every big moment. As Caitlin Clark’s best friend, running mate, and trusted co-captain at Iowa, Martin’s behind-the-scenes brilliance shaped not only Clark’s transcendent career but also the most iconic era Hawkeye basketball has ever seen. Now, as both embark on their own WNBA adventures, Martin’s story is finally getting the attention it has always deserved—for the hustle, heart, humor, and humility that built a championship contender and a lifelong friendship.
The Calm Amid the Storm
When you think back to Iowa’s magical 139-game run—a blur of buzzer-beaters, deep March Madness sprints, and jaw-dropping Clark daggers—Kate Martin was always there. Clark’s meteoric scoring and logo threes grabbed the spotlight, but Martin was the director, the floor general, and the immune system that kept Iowa healthy through the chaos. Her leadership was often a study in contrasts: the “calmer presence,” as Martin herself humbly admits, always there to make eye contact at the free-throw line, take a deep breath in huddles, and remind her team, “It’s all going to be okay.”
But it wasn’t just words—it was trust. “She trusted me,” Martin says of Clark. “She had seen me putting in the work in the gym. She knew how much I cared.” Their bond, forged in early mornings and late-night lifts, became the backbone of a team that seemed to play for each other as much as themselves.
Besties, Ballers, and Bench Therapists
Caitlin Clark may headline the box scores, but ask her—she’ll be the first to say she wouldn’t be the player she is today without Martin. “She’s been the one to hold me accountable, and I hold her accountable. We are wired so similarly…we get each other on a different level.” There’s a give and take, a good-cop-bad-cop element—even if the roles aren’t as rigid as that sounds. Clark radiates competitive fire and next-level confidence; Martin, the Midwestern glue with infectious energy, specializes in emotional intelligence and subtle reassurance.
Kate Martin was the hype squad, the team mom, the sideline prankster, and the locker room therapist all in one. In an era of viral mixtapes, she built her reputation not on highlight reels, but on hustle, joy, and the kind of intangible excellence that is the foundation of every real team.
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The Unlikely Pro
If Hollywood wrote her script, no one would believe it. Martin went from supporting Clark at the WNBA draft—just another “bestie in the crowd”—to hearing her name called and walking the stage herself. She wasn’t planning on becoming a pro, but her work ethic, versatility, and basketball IQ caught the eyes of coaches who know substance when they see it. “Kate wasn’t just a leader on that Iowa team—she was the embodiment of team,” one observer remembers.
Golden State—the “House of Splash”—gave Martin her first pro home, and she looked like she’d been there for years. Now, with the Valkyries, she’s poised to make the leap from fan favorite to low-key WNBA cult hero. It’s a rise that feels less like a fairy tale and more like a natural next step for the most overqualified, underappreciated rookie in the league.
Work Ethic, Grit, and A Side of Sass
Martin’s style is all grit, brains, and joy. She doesn’t just fill a role; she fills gaps—on defense, on the bench, and in the soul of her team. Need a defensive stop? She’s your Point A. Need an offensive spark? She’s in the flow, cutting for a backdoor layup or spacing the floor for a shooter. Need culture? Martin is the blueprint.
Her teammates all have “Kate Martin stories,” whether it was a timely joke before a big game, a shoulder squeeze during a tough loss, or a game-saving box-out that goes unmentioned in the press conference. Coaches love her. Bench players love her. Even opponents and mascots love her, if grudgingly. “She’s the kind of person so genuine, even the opposing fans are like ‘ugh, she’s so likable it’s ruining my trash talk.’”
The Iowa Connection—And Beyond
Clark and Martin’s synergy turned Iowa into the most-watched show in women’s college hoops. Clark rewrote the scoring book, but Martin stabilized every run, made every key switch, and delivered in every clutch moment. Against LSU and South Carolina, as Clark was setting NCAA records, Martin was the one anchoring the defense, calming the bench, moving the ball, and hitting open threes when it mattered most.
Their relationship was the ultimate basketball ecosystem—one star, one stabilizer, both fiercely competitive but endlessly supportive. It’s no coincidence that Clark lights up in interviews whenever Martin’s name comes up, or that both describe their leadership in terms of trust, belief, and setting an example for everyone around them.
A New Stage, an Old Soul
Now, as Martin finds her groove in the WNBA, the same foundation applies. In her most recent outing, she poured in a career-high 14 points in limited minutes—“the OG Kate Martin,” as Iowa fans put it, flourishing as her role expands. With the Valkyries, she has quickly stamped herself as both a locker room favorite and a tactical asset—“an industrial strength bonding agent,” as one writer put it.
And don’t sleep on that “next play” mindset. As Martin herself said, “Whether she’s going to get in the game, play 10 minutes, 30 minutes—she’s going to give you every ounce of herself. She’ll cheer as hard from the bench as she’ll go as hard on the court.”
The Intangible Revolution
What makes Martin special isn’t just her stat line; it’s her presence. She radiates “main character energy in the least egotistical way possible”—all intensity, all joy, all heart. She leads without agenda, supports without hesitation, and gives fans everywhere a reason to believe that the soul of basketball is found not just in superstars, but in teammates who turn the “role player” label into a badge of honor.
If Clark is rewriting the future of women’s basketball, Kate Martin is making sure her story—and the stories of every unheralded baller with heart—gets told along the way.
