'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAGAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFQABAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAb/xAAVAQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAf/aAAwDAQACEAMQAAAAjagj/8QAIBAAAQEIAwAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIAAwQFBhESIRRScf/aAAgBAQABPwCiqScSygpVP4V+rkRpzeBY65680GKEHdrXb//EABYRAAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAv/aAAgBAgEBPwCUf//EABcRAQADAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEAAhH/2gAIAQMBAT8AbK5P/9k='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Sophomore guard Kate Martin made her debut for the Golden State Valkyries on Tuesday in a home preseason game. She also made sure to give a shoutout to her girlfriend, Claire Gransee, who was present in the arena to watch her play.
The Valkyries faced the LA Sparks at the Chase Center in San Francisco in the first of two preseason games for the expansion team. They narrowly lost, 83-82.
Following the game, Kate Martin, one of 11 players picked by Golden State in the expansion draft in December, captured the historic debut of her team, which was given added significance by the presence of Gransee.
She reposted a photo of the game taken by Gransee on her Instagram story, captioning it:
Trending
"Fun was had tonight with the squad! & my fav person was in the crowd."
Against the Sparks, Martin played 19 minutes, finishing with eight points, three rebounds and two steals.
The Valkyries next play the Phoenix Mercury on Sunday in another preseason game in Arizona. They open their regular season on May 16 at home against the Sparks.
Iowa Basketball hails Kate Martin's Valkyries debut
It was not only Claire Gransee who had her eyes on Kate Martin’s Golden State Valkyries debut. The 24-year-old player’s alma mater, Iowa, celebrated a new chapter in her professional career with a social media post.
The Hawkeyes shared a two-word reaction on X (formerly Twitter) to Martin’s Valkyries debut in their preseason game against the LA Sparks on Tuesday, writing:
"Golden Kate 😎"
Kate Martin played five years in Iowa, posting career averages of 8 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 163 games. Playing alongside Caitlin Clark, she helped the Hawkeyes make back-to-back NCAA title game appearances in her final two years.
In last year's WNBA draft, she was selected in the second round (18th pick) by the Las Vegas Aces. Playing for a stacked team of veteran and star players, Martin played limited minutes with the Aces but was one of the fan favorites in Vegas.
She was placed in the expansion pool and was selected by the Valkyries to be part of their roster in their debut WNBA campaign. In Golden State, she is looking to have a fresh start and more opportunities to play, showcasing what she is capable of doing on both ends of the court.
