What stands out about the Sky’s newest player, Kate Martin, beyond her freckles and Illinois roots, is her positive attitude.
That may sound like something used to describe a player without any real basketball chops, but Martin does have chops.
Drafted No. 18 by the Aces in 2024, she surprised many who thought she was just a college sidekick to megastar Caitlin Clark. She shot 35.5% from three-point range as a rookie on a top-notch Aces squad, then played a meaningful bench role for the expansion Valkyries.
Still, that positive attitude — her ability to reframe difficulty as opportunity — has served Martin well in the early part of her career. After a promising first two seasons, she was cut by the Valkyries at the beginning of this one.
Then the Sparks took a flier on her, first on a development contract and later on a standard one, but she never really cracked the rotation.
She was waived at the end of August and is now on her fourth team in three years.
Cue Martin’s gift for finding the silver lining.
“You can look at it one of two ways,” Martin, 26, said of her trajectory so far. “I crave stability. I would love to find my home and my niche. But also, I’ve learned so many great things from so many people. I’ve made so many friendships. I’ve learned different systems. I’ve learned how coaches operate. I learned what’s good in practice, what might not work in practice.”
So what appealed to Martin about the Sky, who are 15-25 and offered her a development contract for the final morsel of the season?
“Beggars can’t be choosers,” she said with a smile. “I’m very grateful that I even got a call. I honestly thought my season was probably going to be over with only four games being left. … My goal is to make an impact and make the most of the next couple weeks.”
Martin’s honesty and authenticity have helped her form strong relationships everywhere she has played. So it was no surprise when she named half the Sky’s roster as already-made friends from Unrivaled, or when she mentioned her desire to coach someday.
But as a player, at this moment, she feels like she is still figuring out who she is.
“Each team I’ve played, you play different roles,” she said. “I’m gonna figure out what my role is here and then just be myself. Just like always, give it my all, do my best, make the right reads, play hard.”
In Chicago, she’ll have a longtime believer on her side: Tyler Marsh, who was an Aces assistant during Martin’s rookie season. He texted her when the Valkyries released her, telling her, “If I ever have the opportunity to get you, I’m gonna take advantage of it.”
In Martin, he sees the kind of versatility that has been typical of the Sky’s roster this year. He thinks she has been pigeonholed as a three-point shooter at the pro level, but sees potential in her as a driver and finisher.
He also thinks she has gotten quicker, which will help her on the perimeter and defensively.
As he often does with young players, Marsh emphasized the need for patience and grace with Martin.
But her toughness and selflessness are the traits he most wants the team to embody.
“Ty isn’t just about basketball and on-court skills,” Martin said. “He’s a people person. I think I can bring a lot of value to a team other than just basketball. Ty sees that. I think we align in the culture pieces.”
Martin still needs to, as she put it, find her niche on the court. But her attitude is part of why she keeps earning chances to do so.