“So thankful to have been coached by this amazing woman”: Former Iowa captain Kate Martin pens special message to Lisa Bluder on her retirement

Former Iowa Hawkeyes guard and captain Kate Martin, who herself has already made it to the WNBA, is one of the latest former players to congratulate head coach Lisa Bluder on her retirement.

Martin posted a photo of Bluder on her IG stories, paying tribute to the woman who helped hone her college basketball career into something clearly worthy of the highest level of women's hoops.

Her words were quite simple:

"So thankful to have been coached by this amazing woman <3", Martin writes.

Martin was an integral part of Lisa Bluder's rotations for Iowa women's basketball, with the six-foot guard helping banner their starting five. Alongside former teammate (and now Indiana Fever rising star Caitlin Clark), Kate Martin had her best season in 2023-2024 where she averaged 13.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game.

Martin has been selected by the WNBA's Las Vegas Aces as the 18th overall pick in the second round of the draft, in an apparent surprise that not even Martin herself would've imagined. She notably mentioned how she was just there to support Caitlin Clark getting obviously drafted first overall, not expecting herself to be picked (via USA Today).

Either way, it's already happened. Five years of playing under a head coach in Lisa Bluder definitely helped Kate Martin get a second look from WNBA scouts, and she is now set to make her professional hoops debut for the Aces against the Phoenix Mercury at the time of this writing.

Lisa Bluder's illustrious career at Iowa women's basketball

Kate Martin`s celebration of Lisa Bluder`s impact on her life is just one of so many stories that are clearly part of the 63-year-old head tactician`s coaching career in Iowa City.

Since arriving in Iowa, Bluder has led the program to a sort of renaissance after several years of just flying under the radar. Most notably, this includes the team's recent runs to two straight Final Fours and national championship appearances in 2023 and 2024.

She also helped the team to five total Big Ten titles and two Big Ten regular season championships, and she herself was a three-time Big Ten Coach of the Year.

But while team accomplishments are understandably more impressive, Coach Bluder has also received her fair share of laurels for developing generational talent. Three Hawkeye players under her were named the National Player of the Year awardees, among a slew of other individual player honors.