Kate Martin shines again in Valkyries blowout win
Kate Martin shines again in Valkyries blowout win
After scoring just seven points during her 14 minutes of action in the Golden State Valkyries' (3-5) loss to the Phoenix Mercury (6-4) on Thursday, former Iowa women's basketball star guard Kate Martin once again put on an impressive performance in the team's Sunday night 95-68 blowout win against the Las Vegas Aces (4-3) from Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif.
The former Hawkeye played a season-high 26 minutes of action off the bench for Golden State, where she recorded 12 points on 5-of-11 from the field and 2-of-7 from 3-point territory, while picking up seven rebounds and one assist.
While her shooting performance proved effective for the Valkyries' offense, the highlight of Martin's night came with 1.2 seconds remaining in the second quarter when she drained a 29-foot 3-pointer to extend Golden State's lead to 21 points.
Through efficient shooting and superior defensive efforts against the Aces, Martin was able to close out her night with the team's second-best +/- rating with +30.
Martin's next opportunity to showcase her offensive skillset will be on Monday, June 9, when the team travels to Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, Calif., for a 9 p.m. CT matchup vs. the Los Angeles Sparks (3-6). The game will be a part of the WNBA Commissioner's Cup slate and be available on WNBA League Pass (free preview).
We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn't influence our coverage.
Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions. Follow Scout on X: @SpringgateNews
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
32 minutes ago
- USA Today
WATCH: Ohio State football player, staffer compete in three-point shooting contest
WATCH: Ohio State football player, staffer compete in three-point shooting contest In case you haven't noticed, the Ohio State football program is passing the time during a slow summer by competing in some "June Olympics." It's a competition of different athletic competitions between the OSU staff and the players, and so far it's been a hoot to watch it all go down. The staff got out to an early lead, but the players won three events in a row to take a 3-1 lead before the older guys trimmed the lead to 3-2. And now, after the latest event, a three-point shooting contest between OSU staffer Matt Guerrieri and wide receiver Bryson Rodgers, things are all tied up. That's because Guerrieri battled through some suspect shots to bury the one that mattered, giving the staff the win and even the competition at 3-3. If you missed any of the action, get a look at the cliff notes version of what went down on the courts of the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. We're not sure when these June Olympics are over, or how many events there are, but it's fun to watch and keep up with, so we'll do our best to stay on top of it. We say, go old guys. Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on X.
USA Today
43 minutes ago
- USA Today
Bill Belichick speaks on Max Johnson's recovery during June media availability
Bill Belichick speaks on Max Johnson's recovery during June media availability Can Max Johnson overcome the odds and start one final season of college football? The UNC football program made one of college football's top additions ahead of its 2024 season, snagging quarterback Max Johnson in the transfer portal. Needing a Drake Maye replacement, North Carolina found its answer in the former LSU and Texas A&M starter. The Tar Heels also carried Conner Harrell on their roster, but Johnson's experience was too much for a bench role. During UNC's 2024 opener, a 19-17 win against Minnesota that came down to a missed field goal, an injury cut Johnson's season short. No one knew what injury Johnson initially suffered during the game, but reports later revealed a broken right leg. Johnson returns for one final season in 2025. On Tuesday during media availability at the Kenan Football Center in Chapel Hill, Tar Heels first-year head coach Bill Belichick delivered an update on Johnson's rehab – and it's a promising one. "Max is doing, doing very well," Belichick said. "His rehab has been long, and I have a lot of admiration for him. It tough injury, but nobody's worked harder than he has, and he certainly is able to do a lot more than he was last spring. So we'll see exactly where he is when things start, but it's a whole lot closer, and we certainly expect to see him out there. So it's been very encouraging." Johnson struggled against Minnesota's defense during the August 2024 season-opener, completing just 12-of-19 passes for 71 yards and throwing an interception, but Johnson did score North Carolina's lone touchdown on a 3-yard scramble. There will be an intense competition for UNC's starting QB job this season. The Tar Heels paid $4 million – over two years – in NIL money to land South Alabama's Gio Lopez, while also recruiting 4-star Bryce Baker out of Kernersville, N.C. Will Johnson enter his final season of college football as North Carolina's starter? His success at past stops points to yes, but that answer depends on Johnson's recovery. Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Kate Martin reflects upon first Caitlin Clark impression
Kate Martin reflects upon first Caitlin Clark impression In a recent recording of the "Bird's Eye View podcast with Sue Bird," former Iowa women's basketball guard Kate Martin spoke on her experience playing alongside Caitlin Clark when the two current WNBA stars were teammates on the Hawkeyes from 2020-24. Martin, who spent five years at Iowa, thanks to the extra year of eligibility granted due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, finished her tenure averaging 8.0 points per game on 46.4% from the floor, including 35.5% from 3-point territory, and 82.4% from the charity stripe through 139 starts in 163 games. Martin also averaged 4.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.1 blocks per contest throughout her career in Iowa City. Most notably, Martin's best offensive season at Iowa was during the 2023-24 campaign when she averaged 13.1 points per game on 50.7% from the floor, including 37.0% from beyond the arc, and 86.4% from the free-throw line, en route to the Hawkeyes' second consecutive appearance in the National Championship game. When Bird asked what her first impression of Clark was when the Hawkeyes recruited the eventual program-altering guard, Martin explained that she did not know much about Clark's skillset outside of film, but was amazed by her ability to live up to the hype. "Yeah, she had come on a couple of visits, and she was like a big name in Iowa. So I had heard about her. I wasn't from Iowa, so I didn't know as much, and that, like, All-Iowa Attack AAU program is, like, so big, and I'd never heard of it," Martin explained. "And so I had heard about this Caitlin Clark, and I was, like, watching videos of her just have like 40 points, averaging a million in high school, and I was like, 'oh, this girl thinks she's going to come here and rule the world.' And there she did, came in right away and ruled the world, and I was like, all right, here we go." Martin continued by explaining that she was in awe of Clark's ability to become an immediate game-changer on the court for the team during her freshman year and eventually alter the trajectory of the program moving forward. "I just remember you have that summer before, and she was doing things that I had never seen anybody do before. And as a freshman, to come in and have that kind of confidence, like, not everybody has that. I was like, I haven't really seen anything like this. And so we knew she was going to be outstanding. And then, yeah, at the beginning of the year, we had some big wins, and there were highs and lows that year for sure. But, you know, it took us a little bit to figure it out. But, yeah, it obviously turned out better than I could have ever expected or thought." With the two now in their second WNBA season, Hawkeyes fans can proudly watch both stars shine on their respective teams as Clark headlines the Indiana Fever and Martin provides a sharp-shooting offensive jolt off the bench for the Golden State Valkyries. Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions. Follow Scout on X: @SpringgateNews
