Kate Martin’s name is trending today because her 2026 WNBA season just ended in a way nobody saw coming, cut from a second team in the same year, hours after sharing good news about a different league entirely. This page lays out who she is, her path through college and the pros, and exactly what’s confirmed about her situation right now.
Background
Kate Martin built a large following as Caitlin Clark’s teammate and close friend at Iowa before starting her own professional career in 2024. People search her name for a mix of reasons: her connection to Clark, her popularity on social media, and now, a rough stretch of roster moves that have defined her second WNBA season. She’s remained a well-known figure even with limited playing time, partly because fans who followed her at Iowa have stayed invested in her career, and partly because her outfit posts and off-court partnerships have kept her visible even during stretches when she wasn’t seeing much time on the court.
Latest Update
As of August 30, 2026, Kate Martin has been waived by the Los Angeles Sparks, according to reporting from Yardbarker, ClutchPoints, and Athlon Sports. The timing stood out: Martin announced on Instagram that she was returning to Unrivaled, the 3-on-3 offseason league, for a third season on a multi-year deal, and roughly an hour later the Sparks announced they were cutting her from the active roster as part of a series of moves with five games left in the regular season. It’s the second time in the same 2026 season that a WNBA team has moved on from her, after the Golden State Valkyries waived her in May, just before that team’s regular season began. Over her 17 games with the Sparks, she averaged 2.3 points, 1.1 rebounds, and 0.4 assists in about 7 minutes per game, the lowest production of her WNBA career so far. Martin has not yet publicly commented on the Sparks move as of this date, so any speculation about her next WNBA opportunity should be treated as unconfirmed until she or a team makes an announcement.
Full Profile
Family and Early Life
Kate Marie Martin was born on June 5, 2000, in Edwardsville, Illinois. She attended Edwardsville High School, where she developed into a standout basketball player before continuing her career at the University of Iowa.
Career Path
Martin played five seasons at Iowa from 2019 to 2024, four of them alongside Caitlin Clark, becoming known for her defense, hustle plays, and sportsmanship; she won the Big Ten Outstanding Sportsmanship Award in 2021 and earned Second-team All-Big Ten honors in her final season. The Las Vegas Aces drafted her 18th overall in the second round of the 2024 WNBA Draft, and she has said she attended the draft mainly to support Clark before hearing her own name called. After one season with the Aces, the Golden State Valkyries selected her in the 2025 expansion draft, and she became a fan favorite there, averaging 6.2 points and 2.7 rebounds in 16 minutes per game and helping the team reach the playoffs. Golden State waived her in May 2026, just before the new season began, a moment she described as ‘brutal’ in comments to ESPN, adding that the experience had helped her relate to other players who go through similar setbacks. She quickly signed a player-development contract with the Los Angeles Sparks, which was later converted to a standard contract, but her role stayed limited throughout the season, and Sparks head coach Lynne Roberts said in mid-August that team ownership wanted to see more of the bench get playing time, a comment that came shortly before the team waived Martin again on August 29, 2026. Alongside her WNBA career, she has also played in Unrivaled, the 3-on-3 offseason league, and recently agreed to return for a third season there on a multi-year deal.
Age
Martin was born June 5, 2000, making her 26 years old as of August 2026.
Religion
There is no publicly documented information about Martin’s religious beliefs or practice, so this detail is unconfirmed.
Spouse/Partner
There is no confirmed public information about Martin being married or in a publicly known relationship, so this detail is unconfirmed.
Net Worth
No official net worth figure has been independently verified for Martin. Her income likely comes from WNBA minimum-level salaries, her Unrivaled contract, and sponsorship deals such as her 2025 partnership with Rakuten, but no specific total is confirmed.
Parents
Detailed, verified information about Martin’s parents is not available in the public sources checked for this article.
Height
Martin is listed at 6 feet 0 inches (1.83 meters) tall and 172 pounds, according to her official WNBA and college profiles.
Education
Martin attended the University of Iowa from 2019 to 2024, playing five seasons of college basketball there while completing her studies.
Hometown/State of Origin
Martin is from Edwardsville, Illinois, where she also attended high school before her college career at Iowa.
Official Social Media Link
Kate Martin’s Official Instagram
Quick Facts
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Kate Marie Martin |
| Born | June 5, 2000 (age 26) |
| Hometown | Edwardsville, Illinois |
| Position | Guard |
| Height / Weight | 6’0″ (1.83m) / 172 lb |
| College | University of Iowa (2019-2024) |
| 2024 WNBA Draft | Round 2, Pick 18, Las Vegas Aces |
| 2026 Status | Waived by Los Angeles Sparks, August 29, 2026 |
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| June 5, 2000 | Born in Edwardsville, Illinois |
| 2019-2024 | Plays five seasons of college basketball at the University of Iowa |
| 2024 | Drafted 18th overall by the Las Vegas Aces |
| 2025 | Selected by the Golden State Valkyries in the WNBA expansion draft |
| May 2026 | Waived by the Golden State Valkyries before the season began |
| May 10, 2026 | Signs a player-development contract with the Los Angeles Sparks |
| August 29, 2026 | Announces return to Unrivaled, then is waived by the Sparks the same day |
Reader Questions (FAQ)
Did Kate Martin get cut from the WNBA?
Yes, the Los Angeles Sparks waived her on August 29, 2026, marking the second time a WNBA team released her during the 2026 season, after the Golden State Valkyries did the same in May.
How old is Kate Martin?
She was born June 5, 2000, making her 26 years old as of August 2026.
Did Kate Martin play with Caitlin Clark?
Yes, they were teammates at the University of Iowa for four seasons and have remained close friends, with Martin publicly supporting Clark’s career moves since both entered the WNBA.
What team drafted Kate Martin?
The Las Vegas Aces selected her with the 18th overall pick in the second round of the 2024 WNBA Draft.
Is Kate Martin still playing basketball?
She has confirmed she’s returning to Unrivaled, the 3-on-3 offseason league, for a third season on a multi-year deal, even after being waived by the Sparks; her next WNBA team has not been announced.
How did Kate Martin perform with the Sparks?
Over 17 games in 2026, she averaged 2.3 points, 1.1 rebounds, and 0.4 assists in about 7 minutes per game, the lowest production of her WNBA career.
Why was Kate Martin waived by Golden State earlier in 2026?
The Valkyries cut her during final roster decisions before the 2026 season began, a move she described as ‘brutal,’ reportedly in favor of keeping other guards on a crowded roster.
What college awards did Kate Martin win?
She won the Big Ten Outstanding Sportsmanship Award in 2021 and earned Second-team All-Big Ten honors during her final season at Iowa in 2024.
Wrap-Up
Kate Martin’s 2026 season captures how unpredictable a professional athlete’s year can get, even for someone with a strong college résumé and a loyal fan base. Being let go by two different teams in the same season isn’t common, and it puts her in an unusual spot heading into the WNBA offseason.
Her decision to lock in a multi-year Unrivaled deal just before the Sparks news broke suggests she’s building some career stability outside the standard WNBA roster cycle, even while her NBA-affiliated future stays uncertain for now. That kind of parallel path has become more common as more players use offseason leagues to stay competitive and paid between WNBA seasons.
For now, the honest summary is this: Martin is a free agent as of August 30, 2026, without a confirmed WNBA team, but she has secured her Unrivaled return for a third season. Anyone following her situation closely should expect updates once WNBA free agency and roster decisions for 2027 begin, rather than assuming any particular next step is locked in.
About David Thomson
Hi, I’m David Thomson, founder of FocusBio. I created FocusBio to provide clear, reliable, and easy-to-read biographies of public figures, musicians, politicians, and actors.
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