Interview: Kate Martin talks getting drafted, joining the Aces and her coaching ambitions

From Iowa to Las Vegas, Kate Martin is ready to hoop

Kate Martin wasn’t expecting much when she showed up at the 2024 WNBA Draft to support former teammate and No. 1 pick Caitlin Clark. Despite having been one-third of Iowa’s nearly unstoppable trifecta (the third member, Gabby Marshall, starts grad school this fall), Martin didn’t think being drafted was in the cards for her—that is, until she heard her name called in the second round.

“I had seen my name in some mock drafts and whatnot,” Martin told Swish Appeal of the moment she was selected by the Las Vegas Aces as the No. 18 overall pick, “but I was there supporting Caitlin obviously, and then I heard my name a little earlier than expected, and it was just amazing.”

Photo by Catalina Fragoso/NBAE via Getty Images

Getting drafted has shifted Martin’s priorities now, and she’s taking things one thing at a time. After acknowledging that she has to officially make the team first—something that unfortunately isn’t always a guarantee for players drafted into the league—she said that she’s most looking forward to being part of the “winning culture” in Las Vegas.

“I’m used to that,” she explains. “I love being a part of that, but these girls are really amazing, and they really show what it’s like to be a team, and to be relentless and work together, and hopefully I can be a part of that the whole season, and just continue to be a really good teammate, and focus on winning.”

Martin has also been open about her plans to coach, something that playing in the WNBA will delay but not stop. For the last two years, she’s made it into the NCAA’s “So You Want To Be A Coach” program, only to back out after her team advanced to the Final Four.

“One day when I’m done playing, I would love to be a coach,” she said, but admitted that she doesn’t have a particular school or team in mind. “I mean, there’s so many schools, so many great schools, I have no idea—I just want a good opportunity.”

If there’s one thing Martin has missed out on since joining the league, it’s the opportunity to meet former Aces legend Candace Parker, who announced her retirement on April 28—and potentially opened up the team to officially offer Martin a roster spot. Martin said though the two didn’t get to connect, she “grew up watching her at Tennessee, and in the WNBA, and she’s the GOAT. She’s amazing, she had a phenomenal career, and she will definitely be missed.”

Martin played her first preseason game on May 11, scoring five points in 10 minutes of action as the Aces routed the Puerto Rican national team in Columbia, SC.