"I love the people who are energy givers": Former Iowa star Kate Martin compliments Jada Gyamfi for not making her feel "drained"

One of the biggest reasons Kate Martin made a huge impact on the Iowa Hawkeyes was her role of being the 'glue' of the roster. Be it maintaining high spirits, having tough conversations, taking on the leadership role or sometimes mimicking a coaching name, her role was essential for the fluid functioning of the team.

However, Martin made a contrasting statement on the Fresh Tawk podcast. She tipped her hat to former teammate Jada Gyamfi for always being a beacon of comfort and being impartial, which in turn, allowed Martin to be herself.

"I love the people who are energy givers, who you see and you don't feel like you have to be on," Martin said.

"You know what I mean, that's how you are for me. Every time I see you I'm like, I just know I'm gonna smile and I can be myself and I can just be free you know? I'm not gonna be drained after hanging out with you.," she added.

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As Jada Gyamfi soaked in the heartfelt reveal by Kate Martin, she reciprocated by citing that Martin, Gabbie Marshall and Caitlin Clark sparked the same sentiments for her. However, Gyamfi won't be experiencing the same feeling as frequently as she did in the last two years.

Caitlin Clark and Martin have transitioned to the WNBA, while Marshall is pursuing a master's in occupational therapy from North Carolina.

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The biggest lessons WNBA posed for Kate Martin

Caitlin Clark, the nationally renowned college player who drove record-breaking masses to her NCAA games, had to go through a learning curve in the WNBA.

She could be her high-arcing 3-point menace self right away in the big league. That solidified a similar adjustment for Kate Martin, especially when she was not being considered as a viable pick in the 2024 WNBA draft at a point.

With that, Martin believes that the immediate shakeup in a transition to WNBA from NCAA increased physicality, matchups and the change in game speed.

WNBA, due to its 24-second shot clock (six seconds shorter than NCAA), automatically becomes a faster gameplay. Moreover, matchups in the big leagues are generally taller, stronger and faster compared to the college circuit.

That not only creates a skillset void for young players to fill but also requires ample strength development to simply be in a spot to keep their best foot forward.