“She brings the heat”: Kate Martin makes passionate case for $78,831 teammate to win major WNBA honor

Kate Martin made a passionate case for fellow Valkyries player Veronica Burton to win the Most Improved Player honor this season. Martin shared a Valkyries reel on her Instagram story on Sunday.

The reel highlighted improvements in Burton's game this season. Martin accompanied a warm message for her teammate in the story's caption.

"Her name is V, she brings the heat, she should be MIP. Shabooya," the caption read.

Kate Martin makes a case for Veronica Burton to win the MIP award on her IG story. (Credits: @katemartin/IG)

Veronica Burton is having the best season of her career. She has been efficient since joining the Valkyries, who picked her in the expansion draft at the season's start. According to Spotrac, Burton signed a one-year $78,831 deal with the expansion team.

She is averaging 12.1 points, 4.3 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game while shooting 39.8% from the field and 37.7% from the 3-point range. Compared to last season, Burton's numbers have seen a significant jump.

She averaged 3.1 points, 1.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game last season on 36.1% shooting from the field and 35.1% from deep. The Valkyries guard has also established some records in her name this season.

She became the only player in league history to score 24 points and dish out 14 assists per game without turnovers. She also became the first Valkyrie player to record a 30-point game. Burton makes a strong case to win the MIP award, she will succeed DiJonai Carrington if she wins the honor this season.

Kate Martin gives Veronica Burton her flowers after seeing her remarkable growth

Veronica Burton has emerged as the Valkyries' saviour as the expansion team looks to secure a playoff spot in their first season. During a conversation with the San Francisco Chronicle earlier this week, sophomore guard Kate Martin gave her flowers to her teammate.

"She’s our leader and best player,” Kate Martin said. “To go from getting cut last year to being the most improved this year, it’s remarkable. I’m grateful I don’t play against her anymore."

Burton has played a massive role in her team after All-Star guard Kayla Thornton was sidelined for the rest of the season with a knee injury in late July. Coach Natalie Nakase has relied on Burton in crucial matters and the Valkyries guard has answered her call almost every single time.

"I challenged her to be more assertive on the floor,” Nakase told San Francisco Chronicle. “I use cuss words; it’s my style. She said, ‘Coach, I lead with encouragement and positivity.’ I love that she stayed true to herself and wasn’t manipulated to change.”

The Valkyries are holding the eighth place on the standings with a 20-18 record. They have six games remaining, and every game matters now if they want to secure a playoff berth.