Kate Martin arrived in Los Angeles and met reporters at Crypto.com Arena on the same day the Sparks signed her, turning a sudden cut into a new chance almost immediately. Three days after the Golden State Valkyries waived her on May 7, the Sparks gave her one of the league’s player development contracts, and Martin said her goal is to make the roster.
That is why her name is drawing attention now. Martin had become a visible fan favorite in Golden State after the Valkyries took her sixth overall in the 2025 expansion draft, and fans were wearing her jerseys at Chase Center before the team moved on from her. In her short run there, she averaged 6.2 points and 2.7 rebounds per game, a step up from the 2.6 points she posted in 34 games as a rookie with the Las Vegas Aces in 2024.
Martin’s rise has been steady for years. She spent five seasons at the University of Iowa, where her production climbed year after year, then entered the WNBA as the 18th overall pick in the 2024 draft. As a rookie, she gave the Aces 11.5 minutes a game and shot 37.5% from 3-point range, enough to show she could carve out a role even before Golden State made her a priority in its expansion plans.
What makes this move harder to reduce to a simple roster note is how quickly the ground shifted beneath her. Martin said hearing the news about her future with Golden State was difficult, even as she called it a business decision. The same player who had been embraced in one new market was gone almost as fast as she arrived, and the league’s newest development opening sent her to another team before the first week of May was over.
Martin is not pretending otherwise. She said she is still young in her career and sees this as a strong chance to grow, and she added that opportunities do not always come around in this league. Her message from the start in Los Angeles was direct: buy in, learn and grow, and make the most of the opportunity. That is the assignment now, and it is a narrow one — earn a place with the Sparks while the roster spot remains there to win.
