2025 Hall of Fame nominee drops advice for Kate Martin amid Valkyries move

Kate Martin is, for the first time in her WNBA career, moving from one team to another. Making the transition to an expansion squad is a different kind of challenge, but her former Iowa coach Lisa Bluder believes she would handle it well.

Bluder said about the Golden State Valkyries' newly acquired 6-foot guard from the Las Vegas Aces:

"I'm excited for her to have another opportunity now, and I think she's excited about it as well," said Bluder in an interview with the Des Moines Register.

There's an exciting development in Bluder's career as well. She has been announced as a nominee for the 2025 Class of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Other notable nominees include Carmelo Anthony, Sue Bird and coach Billy Donovan.

In her last two seasons before retirement, Bluder called the shots for an Iowa Hawkeyes roster that included Martin and the transcendent Caitlin Clark. Both times, the Hawkeyes reached the NCAA national championship game.

Syndication: The Des Moines Register - Source: Imagn

Bluder reflected on Martin's first year with Las Vegas, the team that drafted her 18th overall in the 2024 WNBA Draft:

"I can't believe how much publicity was generated. Kate was loved by everybody," said Bluder. "Those of us that know Kate personally, we understand it. But it's so interesting to see people that know her from afar, embrace her love for the game, her joy for the game, how hard she plays."

For the recent retiree, Martin's approach to the game is a lesson to be learned by all aspiring hoopers.

"It goes to show you that, if you play the game the right way, if you have a great attitude, if you love the game, people are attracted to that," Bluder added.

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Kate Martin is gearing up for the 2025 WNBA season

Even in the early days of the WNBA offseason, Kate Martin is taking steps to make sure that she's ready for her first season with the Valkyries.

Martin enlisted the help of fitness trainer Maxwell Schmarzo to refine certain aspects of her game. These include maximizing body contact, managing space properly and hip-torso disassociation.

Martin's caption for her workout clip sums up her determination to improve and become a key piece of the Valkyries next season:

"Let's. Go."

It's clear evidence that Kate Martin is playing the game the right way.