Former Iowa star Kate Martin once laughed off her head injury during last year's NCAA tournament: "I shed a couple of tears"

Former Iowa Hawkeyes star Kate Martin has been one of the most impressive players in the 2024 WNBA rookie class. The guard has been solid ever since she was drafted 18th by defending champions the Las Vegas Aces.

She is averaging 4.3 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists in only 18 minutes of game time and has integrated well with her new teammates after making the highly competitive roster.

Most recently, a video of her time in Iowa resurfaced where she got injured during a game and appeared to shake it off, continuing to play through the injury to reinforce her reputation as a tough prospect.

"It's not a head injury, it's just a bump. I did it at halftime (put ice) and full-time. People think I'm tough but I shed a couple of tears. I felt that I felt that," Martin said in a postgame news conference at the time.

Kate Martin: The Glue of Iowa

Caitlin Clark was the undoubted star of the Iowa Hawkeyes over the past few years, as they won several Big Ten titles and reached two national championship games. However, Kate Martin was both the captain and "the glue" that held the team together.

During an interview with "The Intelligencer" last season, Clark heartily praised the qualities that made Martin such a good leader, emphasizing grit and will to win as her most enduring qualities.

“She’s one of those people you can lean on,” Clark said. “She does a lot of dirty work, a lot of stuff that doesn’t show up on the stat sheet or in a news article. We’re wired the same. We’ll go at each other in practice, all in good fun, maybe gets a little serious sometimes. She’s one of those people, we’ll step off the floor, and we’re going to hug and be best friends.”

Martin, who recently celebrated her 24th birthday, has been embraced in the WNBA by her new teammates as well. Aces star Kelsey Plum recently praised her qualities while speaking to reporters.

"Kate Martin is awesome. Martin picks up things so quickly, she's an amazing sponge," Plum said. "I think Becky nicknamed her Kate 'Money' Martin. I think that's gonna stick because she really is. And when I say 'money,' it's not just about scoring and stuff, she's just in the right place at the right time."

Martin has continued to receive plenty of support from her former Iowa Hawkeyes teammates, including Gabbie Marshall and Jada Gyamfi, who have attended Las Vegas Aces games to watch their former captain in action.