Kate Martin will be one of the names to watch in the 2024 WNBA Draft, scheduled for Monday, April 15, in Brooklyn. Martin shot into the spotlight as she played alongside superstar Caitlin Clark at Iowa. The two took Iowa to the national championship game before falling to South Carolina.
Martin is projected to be a third-round pick in most mock drafts. Martin could see herself go earlier if a team loves her shooting. She also saw her stock shoot up during March Madness as Iowa ran all the way to the national title game. Now she is preparing for her career at the next level.
Projected Team for Kate Martin, LA Sparks
Iowa’s Kate Martin is projected to go in the later rounds. She could land with a team like the LA Sparks.
ESPN projects Martin would go to the Sparks in the third round with the 28th overall pick. The Sparks are looking to reload after a tough season and missing the playoffs.
Their star, Nneka Ogwumike, is also gone. She moved to the Seattle Storm for the upcoming season.
The Sparks will need to reshape their roster. They will have a loaded rookie class with two of the first four picks in this year’s draft. Martin could be a solid backup guard for the rebuilding team.
Martin, a 6-foot guard, has the potential to be a strong rotation shooter at the next level. She is efficient and demonstrated an unbeatable fadeaway midrange jumper during the competition. Her midrange game and efficiency should get her drafted on Monday.
Much of the spotlight shone on Caitlin Clark and for good reason. Kate Martin was also a huge part of the team’s successful season. Martin averaged 13.1 points in her senior season. It was a career-high for the guard.
She was very efficient. She shot 50.7 percent from the field her senior year, a career-high. She hit 37.0 percent of her 3-point attempts. The sharpshooter also went 86.4 percent from the free throw line.
She rebounds above her weight. She averaged a career-high 6.8 rebounds per game this season. She can crash the glass and clean it up despite playing mostly as a guard.
Her size and speed may have slight downsides. However, she proved she could get her shot off against anyone with her craft footwork.
Martin should also have more exposure at the next level since she will not have to fight for shots with Caitlin Clark's high volume shooting, as she did at Iowa. Martin should get more chances in the WNBA if she maintains her high percentages.