"Happy birthday to one of my best friends": Former Iowa star Kate Martin shares unseen snaps on Gabbie Marshall's 24th birthday 

Gabbie Marshall celebrated her 24th birthday on Thursday and former teammate Kate Martin wished her via Instagram story. The duo shared the court as Iowa Hawkeyes players for five years, joining in 2019 and graduating together in 2024.

Sharing some unseen photographs of the two on her Instagram story, Martin wrote:

"Happy Birthday to one of my best friends forever & ever (red heart emoji) love you!!!!!"

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Gabbie Marshall and Kate Martin occupy the top 2 spots with the most appearances for any player from the Big Ten Conference. Marshall played in 166 games while Martin registered 163 appearances in the NCAA.

Kate Martin plays for the Las Vegas Aces in the WNBA after graduating in April. Gabbie Marshall, meanwhile, has moved on from basketball and joined the University of North Carolina to pursue her master's degree in Occupational Therapy.

She was present for the draft day when Martin, much to the surprise of many was selected in the second round. The former player was even seen wiping away a few tears. She offered a peek into their close bond when she credited Kate Martin for helping her grow into a more confident person.

“I’ve become a better person, stronger, a better leader,” Marshall said (via Hawk Fanatic). “My freshman year I struggled to use my voice a little bit. I kind of hid in the shadows.

"But I think I’ve trusted my own voice, just been a better leader because these people around me have pushed me especially Kate. She’s one of the best leaders I’ve ever been around. These people are amazing, and they’ve helped me grow.”

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Kate Martin and Gabbie Marshall's summer plans were thrown out after the WNBA

During an appearance on Iowa Hawkeyes player and former teammate Jada Gyamfi's podcast "Fresh Tawk," Kate Martin shared her original summer plans. During her time at Iowa, the guard played well but did not have many outstanding performances nor did she fill her stats sheet.

With a WNBA selection far out of her reach, Kate Martin, along with Gabbie Marshall and Jada Gyamfi, had planned on road trip to a cabin in the woods. They hoped to spare some time away from social media and reconect with cature.

However, when they accompanied Catilin Clark for her draft day, the story turned outdifferently. Martin now enjoys her time in the WNBA playing alongside the defending champions.