Former Iowa teammates Kate Martin & Caitlin Clark share a special night in Las Vegas

 Kate Martin was right there as her best friend, Caitlin Clark, became the face of women’s college basketball the past two years and then was in the building when her Iowa teammate was selected first by Indiana in this year’s WNBA draft.

Martin also was drafted that April night, going 18th to the two-time defending champion Las Vegas Aces.

Though she knows what the spotlight looks like up close, it’s not nearly as intense for Martin as it is for Clark. That gives Martin the breathing room to adapt to professional basketball while not having every move scrutinized.

“We’re not asking her to come and score 20 (points) and 10 (rebounds),” Aces two-time MVP A’ja Wilson said. “We don’t need that from her. We just need her to bring the energy and the hard-working mentality that she had in college.”

Martin and Clark remain in touch, but they have not seen each other since they went to their separate WNBA teams. That changes Saturday night when the Aces host the Fever.

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“I miss her a lot,” Martin said. “I spent every day with her the last four years, and I haven’t seen her in like a month and a half. I’m excited to see her, and obviously it’s going to be a good game. It’s going to be a fun environment.”

Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson (22) drives against Indiana Fever forward NaLyssa Smith (1) during the first half of a WNBA basketball game Saturday, May 25, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

A’ja Wilson totals 29 points and 15 rebounds to lead Aces to 99-80 win over Caitlin Clark and Fever

While it’s been known since Clark declared Feb. 29 for the WNBA draft that she would go No. 1, there was no guarantee Martin would be taken at all. She attended the draft in New York as Clark’s guest hoping to hear her own name called.

Then there was no certainty Martin would make the Aces roster. Coach Becky Hammon said Martin earned a spot based on “her work ethic, her competitiveness and her brain.”

“She’s trying to work her way into some rotations, so she’s still learning our system,” Hammon said. “She’s still learning our dos and don’ts, and so she’s going to have to learn on the fly. But what I love about her is I know what I’m getting when I put her in the game. It’s going to be effort, it’s going to be smart effort, it’s going to be tough effort.”

Even though Martin plays with a noticeable fire that has drawn raves from her All-Star Aces teammates, she didn’t place a lot of pressure on herself to make the club.

“I knew it was going to be really hard to make this team, so I just came in with an open mindset,” Martin said. “I wanted to be a sponge and learn as much as possible, and after a few days, I started to gain more confidence. I thought, ‘Maybe I could make this team,’ but I never got my hopes up too high because you never know what’s going to happen in this league.”

She was eased into the season and didn’t play in the May 14 season opener against the Phoenix Mercury, but came in off the bench four days later against the Los Angeles Sparks.

Martin made her first career 3-pointer in that game and had five rebounds, three assists and one memorable block in 26 minutes. The rejection was of Sparks 6-foot-7 center Li Yueru, in which Martin gave up 7 inches in height, that drew a guttural yell and chest bump from teammate Kelsey Plum.

“She knows how to play with superstars,” Hammon said. “That in itself is a skillset to know and understand how to impact a game without ever shooting the ball. In that LA game, she scored three points, but she impacted us absolutely winning that game.”

Martin was critical of her play in the following game. She missed all four of her shots in 14 minutes and had two rebounds and no assists.

The loss to the Mercury was the Aces’ first defeat this season — they had just six in the regular season last year — and though Las Vegas’ problems that game went far beyond Martin, she is looking to bounce back.

It just so happens that opportunity is against Clark and the Fever.

“Maybe I’m being a little hard on myself, but I feel like I messed up a few times,” Martin said of the Mercury defeat. “It’s not easy. You don’t want to disappoint anybody. You don’t want to let your teammates down, so you really have to learn how to deal with that.

“Losing is going to happen and I’m not a good loser.”

Aces’ Becky Hammon Sums Up What She Loves About Kate Martin in 2 Words

GettyKate Martin of the Las Vegas Aces.

Former Iowa Hawkeyes teammates and WNBA rookies Caitlin Clark and Kate Martin were wearing different jerseys for the first time in four years when Martin and the Las Vegas Aces hosted Clark and the Indiana Fever.

The defending champion Aces came out on top, winning 99-80, with Martin finishing with career highs in points (12) and rebounds (7) in 22 minutes off the bench. The Aces rookie went 2-for-4 from 3-point range, continuing her hot start in the league. Clark finished with eight points, seven assists and five boards.

After the game, Las Vegas head coach Becky Hammon was asked what has impressed her the most about Martin through three games so far. Hammon’s response was succinct and very telling. “Her mind,” Hammond said, before elaborating further.

“Her mind jumps off the pages … I said this early on — she’s a basketball player. If you don’t know what that means, then you should watch her. She is somebody who understands angles. Being in the right place at the right time and making the right read — and she’s just getting her feet wet.”

Kate Martin Shined in 1st WNBA Matchup Against BFF Caitlin Clark

In addition to Martin and Clark, Aces reserve center Megan Gustafson was the third former Iowa Hawkeye to hit the court in the game, which was attended by the trio’s former college coach Lisa Bluder. Martin outscored them all. A long shot to make the roster after she was drafted in the second round by the Aces this year, she clearly made her former coach proud

Kate Martin hugs Iowa women’s basketball head coach Jan Jensen after the Aces win over the Fever. Martin receives a standing ovation from Aces & Hawkeyes fans

“Kate Martin has been doing Kate Martin things all night,” Jemele Hill of The Atlantic wrote on X during the game. “She does it all. As I said when the Aces drafted her, a perfect piece for a championship caliber team.”

“It’s pretty cool when your college coaches are sitting courtside right next to the bench,” Martin said on the postgame show, via Dargan Southard of Hawk Central, also describing the feelings she had going up against her close friend Clark.

“It was weird, I’m not going to lie,” Martin admitted. “Just looking out on the court and seeing her in a different jersey than me, it was obviously different. But it’s really fun. We’re both living out our dreams right now, and we both get to compete at the highest level. So we’re both really grateful for that opportunity.”

Becky Hammon Is Trusting Kate Martin More & More

Martin didn’t play in Las Vegas’s first game of the season, but her playing time has increased ever since. She was sixth on the team in minutes heading into the Aces’ game against the Fever, and she was the top reserve in that win, as well.

“It’s a really fun team to be a part of,” Martin said. “I’m grateful to be a part of this organization and have the fan support that we do here.”

It’s rare for a second-round rookie to make such an immediate impact on a championship roster, but Martin is off to a great start. The Aces are looking to win their third consecutive WNBA title. If they succeed, Martin will have a ring before Clark does, and she’ll have played quite a significant role.

Beth Mishler-Elmore is a Heavy sports contributor based in the Midwest, focusing on the Chicago Bears, Philadelphia Eagles, NBA and WNBA. She also covers the Bears for Bear Report, a CBS Sports affiliate. More about Beth Mishler-Elmore