Kate Martin leaves heartfelt message for new teammate Kaitlyn Chen

Incoming sophomore guard Kate Martin of the Golden State Valkyries congratulated Kaitlyn Chen for being selected by the team at the 2025 WNBA draft on Monday in New York.

Fresh from helping the University of Connecticut win the national title, the 5-foot-9 Chen was plucked by the expansion team Valykries in the third round of the draft.

Kate Martin, who is among the 11 players selected by Golden State in the expansion draft back in December, congratulated Chen for her selection.

Martin shared a video of the moment Chen's name was read on her Instagram story. She left a message which read:

"Congrats @kaitlyn.chen. Getting drafted from the crowd is a classic!!!"

Kate Martin's heartfelt congratulatory message for Kaitlyn Chen

Kate Martin was in the same position as Chen a year ago, as she heard her name called as a second-round pick (18th overall) by the Las Vegas Aces. She was also in the crowd with her Iowa teammates when it happened.

Meanwhile, Chen was one of three UConn players selected in this year's WNBA draft. The others were Paige Bueckers, who was the top overall pick by the Dallas Wings, and Aubrey Griffin, who was also selected in the third round by the Minnesota Lynx.

Chen played her first three years in college at Princeton before spending her final season at UConn, averaging 6.9 points, 3.4 assists, 1.8 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 40 games.

Kate Martin is looking for a fresh start with the Golden State Valkyries

Kate Martin saw limited time playing for a loaded Las Vegas Aces squad in her rookie season last year. She is looking to have a fresh start as a member of the expansion team Golden State Valkyries.

One of the players selected by the Bay Area squad from the expansion draft, the former Iowa standout sees playing for the Valkyries as an opportunity to further showcase what she is capable of and grow as a player.

Speaking on the A Touch More podcast of Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe earlier this year, Martin shared that she has set certain goals for herself with her new team.

The 24-year-old guard said:

"I would say [my goal] is just to continue to be confident and know I belong. I'm not a rookie anymore. It's time to really take that jump and show, 'Hey, I'm here. This is what I bring. This is my value."

In her rookie year, Martin averaged 11.5 minutes per game, finishing with averages of 2.6 points and 1.6 rebounds in 34 games. She, however, was a crowd favorite in Las Vegas and said she learned a lot from playing alongside All-Star teammates A'ja Wilson, Chelsea Gray, Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young.