Coach Lisa Bluder, leading the LOWA team, recently sparked a social media frenzy with her candid condemnation of Chennedy Carter’s unsportsmanlike tactics against Caitlin Clark. Bluder didn’t hold back, labeling Carter’s actions as “dirty” and expressing concern about their implications for fair play and sportsmanship. Her remarks quickly caught the attention of fans, pundits, and athletes alike, igniting intense debate across various online platforms.
However, amidst the criticism of Carter’s behavior, Bluder also took a moment to commend Kate Martin for her courageous defense of Caitlin Clark. Martin’s decision to stand up for her teammate earned her praise from Bluder and others, underscoring the importance of unity and support within the team.
Caitlin Clark Was So Relatable Greeting Former Teammate Kate Martin Before Fever-Aces
Caitlin Clark and Kate Martin played together for four years at Iowa.
As Caitlin Clark makes her transition to the professional side of basketball, her familiar teammates from her four years at Iowa are no more. Clark, who was drafted first overall by the Indiana Fever this year, now will face some of her former teammates for the first time as opponents.
One of those players is Kate Martin, who now plays for the Las Vegas Aces. With the Fever set to take the Aces on on Saturday, the two reunited pregame and had an incredibly wholesome reunion on the court during pregame warmups.
Take a look at the video of their sweet interaction:
Just a couple of @IowaWBB turned pro 🥹
Kate x Caitlin 🫶#ALLINLV pic.twitter.com/ZVYyZma5Lg
— Las Vegas Aces (@LVAces) May 26, 2024
Before the game, Clark spent some time speaking about Martin to the press:
Kate Martin was supposed to come to a joint pregame, but Caitlin Clark said “she bailed, that’s your headline.”
Still, she talked about what Kate means to her: pic.twitter.com/XmmWoJZxKW
— Chloe Peterson (@chloepeterson67) May 25, 2024
Here’s what Clark said about Martin in that press scrum, after getting in a friendly jab at her for not showing up to the joint press conference:
“[She was] somebody that was with me all four years at Iowa, and I was the person that kinda begged her to come back for her sixth year. … We’ve talked every single day, I call her if not texted her every single day. I’m just really happy for her and everything coach [Becky] Hammon says about her is just so true, and every single person that played at Iowa and was around our program knows that to be true. She’s the ultimate teammate, she’s the ultimate person, ultimate leader, she’s going to do whatever she can for her team, just super unselfish person, and just honestly she’s just a winner. … She was my teammate but also one of my best friends. You know, I’ve been lucky.”
The two spent some time on the court chatting before their matchup in Vegas:
Caitlin Clark and Kate Martin catching up ahead of their first matchup as opponents. #Allinlv #FeverRising #WNBA pic.twitter.com/FQsDGufffF
— Dice City Sports (@DiceCitySports) May 25, 2024
Together, Martin and Clark combined for over 5,000 points, 1,500 rebounds, and 1,500 assists in the four years they overlapped as Hawkeyes.
