COLUMBIA, SC – MAY 11: Kate Martin #20 of the Las Vegas Aces looks on during the game against the Puerto Rico National Team during the WNBA Preseason Game on May 11, 2024 at Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Travis Bell/NBAE via Getty Images)
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Much of the attention has gone to one former Iowa Hawkeye early in the WNBA season, but Caitlin Clark isn’t the only Iowa rookie making a splash to start the year.
Kate Martin, who was selected in the second round by the Las Vegas Aces, scored her first WNBA points on Saturday.
Late in the second quarter of the Aces’ game against the Los Angeles Sparks, Martin hit a three from the corner to extend Las Vegas’ lead to five.
Martin is fighting for playing time on the league’s best team, a roster filled with veterans who have won back-to-back league titles.
Making the team was an accomplishment in itself, and now Martin is working to carve out a consistent role for herself.
Martin and Clark are two of the most popular rookies in a class that is expected to have a major impact on the WNBA.
Cameron Brink, Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso are also among the top rookies from the 2024 class.
Many fans became familiar with these players over the last few seasons at the college level, and they’re following their professional debuts as well.
The race for the WNBA’s Rookie of the Year award will be fierce this season with so many talented rookies around the league, but the veterans have stood firm so far.
Both of last season’s finalists – the Aces and New York Liberty – are unbeaten to start the year.
They’re picking up where they left off after dominant seasons, and that could be good news for Martin as she looks to find playing time on a stacked roster.
