Kate Martin is an American professional basketball player who plays as a guard for the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women’s National Basketball Association and for Breeze BC in the Unrivaled three-on-three league. Known as “The Glue” throughout her Iowa Hawkeyes career for her selfless, team-first approach, she was selected 18th overall by the Las Vegas Aces in the 2024 WNBA Draft despite not knowing she was going to be drafted at all, having attended the ceremony only to support her teammate Caitlin Clark.
Kate Martin Biography, Wiki
| Field | Details |
| Full Name | Kate Marie Martin |
| Nickname | The Glue |
| Date of Birth | June 5, 2000 |
| Age (2026) | 26 years old |
| Birthplace | Edwardsville, Illinois, USA |
| Hometown | Edwardsville, Illinois, USA |
| Nationality | American |
| Religion | Not publicly confirmed |
| Caste or Community | Not applicable |
| Zodiac Sign | Gemini |
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Weight | 172 lb (78 kg) |
| Eye Colour | Not publicly confirmed |
| Hair Colour | Not publicly confirmed |
| Profession | Professional Basketball Player |
| Known For | Iowa Hawkeyes captain (2019 to 2024); WNBA guard; “The Glue” nickname; Caitlin Clark teammate |
| Father’s Name | Matthew (Matt) Martin |
| Mother’s Name | Jill Martin |
| Siblings | Kennedy Martin (older sister); Trevor Martin (older brother) |
| Marital Status | Single |
| Boyfriend | Not publicly confirmed |
| Children | None confirmed |
| School | Edwardsville High School, Edwardsville, Illinois |
| College or University | University of Iowa (2019 to 2024) |
| Degree or Qualification | Graduated from University of Iowa (2024) |
| Political Party | N/A |
| Current Position or Role | Guard, Los Angeles Sparks (WNBA, 2026); Wing, Breeze BC (Unrivaled, 2026) |
| Net Worth (estimated) | Approx. $300,000 to $500,000 USD (not officially confirmed) |
| Monthly Income (estimated) | Not publicly confirmed (WNBA rookie scale contract signed April 2024 for $297,045 over four years) |
| Twitter/X | @KateMartinnn6 |
| @katemartin__6 | |
| Not publicly confirmed | |
| YouTube | Not publicly confirmed |
| Official Website | Not publicly confirmed |
Kate Martin WNBA Career Statistics
| Season | Team | GP | GS | MPG | PPG | RPG | APG | FG% | 3P% | FT% |
| 2024 | Las Vegas Aces | 34 | 0 | 11.5 | 2.6 | 1.6 | 0.9 | 30.7% | 35.5% | 91.7% |
| 2025 | Golden State Valkyries | 35+ | Var | Var | 7.8* | Var | Var | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2026 | Los Angeles Sparks | Active | Var | Var | 2.8* | 0.3* | 0.3* | N/A | N/A | N/A |
*2025 and 2026 season figures per Proballers and available reports; full confirmed per-game averages not finalised at time of writing.
Kate Martin College Career Statistics
| Season | GP | PPG | RPG | APG | Notes |
| 2019-20 | 26 | 4.4 | 2.6 | 1.1 | Redshirt freshman |
| 2020-21 | 21 | 6.2 | 3.8 | 1.7 | Big Ten Outstanding Sportsmanship Award |
| 2021-22 | 33 | 8.0 | 4.8 | 2.2 | Big Ten regular season title |
| 2022-23 | 36 | 10.1 | 5.8 | 2.7 | National championship game |
| 2023-24 | 39 | 13.1 | 6.8 | 2.3 | Second-team All-Big Ten; national championship game |
| Career | 155 | 8.5 | 4.8 | 2.0 | First Iowa player with 900+ pts, 500+ reb, 400+ ast, 120+ stl, 60+ blk |
Kate Martin Awards and Achievements
| Year | Achievement | Notes |
| 2019 | Gatorade Illinois Player of the Year | High school |
| 2019 | Illinois Miss Basketball | High school |
| 2021 | Big Ten Outstanding Sportsmanship Award | University of Iowa |
| 2022 | Big Ten regular season champion | Iowa Hawkeyes |
| 2022 | Big Ten Tournament champion | Iowa Hawkeyes |
| 2023 | Big Ten Tournament champion | Iowa Hawkeyes; NCAA national championship game appearance |
| 2023 | First Iowa player in program history with 900+ pts, 500+ reb, 400+ ast, 120+ stl, 60+ blk | Program record |
| 2024 | Second-team All-Big Ten | University of Iowa (AP) |
| 2024 | Big Ten Tournament champion | Iowa Hawkeyes; second consecutive national championship game |
| 2024 | Selected 18th overall, 2024 WNBA Draft | Las Vegas Aces; second round |
Kate Martin Events
| Year | Event |
| 2000 | Born June 5 in Edwardsville, Illinois |
| 2005 | Begins playing basketball at age five |
| 2013 | Begins attending Iowa women’s basketball camps each summer |
| 2015-17 | Plays high school basketball at Edwardsville High School; also plays varsity volleyball |
| 2017 | Verbally commits to University of Iowa during junior year |
| 2018 | Suffers torn ACL in left knee during Illinois High School All-Star Game practice; misses 2018-19 season |
| 2019 | Named Gatorade Illinois Player of the Year and Illinois Miss Basketball; graduates high school; enrolls at Iowa |
| 2019-24 | Plays for Iowa Hawkeyes women’s basketball; captains team for four consecutive seasons |
| 2021 | Wins Big Ten Outstanding Sportsmanship Award |
| 2023 | Helps Iowa reach NCAA national championship game for first time; sets Iowa program records |
| 2024 | Helps Iowa return to national championship game; named second-team All-Big Ten; graduates from Iowa |
| April 2024 | Selected 18th overall by Las Vegas Aces in 2024 WNBA Draft (shocked; was at draft only to support Caitlin Clark) |
| May 2024 | Signs four-year rookie scale contract with Las Vegas Aces ($297,045) |
| May 2024 | Makes WNBA debut |
| December 6, 2024 | Selected by Golden State Valkyries in WNBA Expansion Draft |
| January 2025 | Joins Laces BC in Unrivaled three-on-three league; averages 8.7 pts, 5.2 reb, 1.2 stl |
| January 2025 | Records first career double-double: 12 pts, 10 reb vs Phantom BC |
| 2025 | Plays full WNBA season with Golden State Valkyries; scores career-high 21 points vs Liberty (June 26) |
| 2026 | Drafted to Breeze BC for Unrivaled season |
| 2026 | Traded or signed to Los Angeles Sparks for 2026 WNBA season |
Kate Martin Early Life and Family
Kate Marie Martin was born on June 5, 2000, in Edwardsville, Illinois, a city in the St. Louis metropolitan area known for its strong athletic tradition. She is the youngest of three children born to Matthew and Jill Martin, both of whom worked as teachers and coaches in the Edwardsville area. Growing up in a household where sport and education were given equal importance, Kate absorbed both values from the very beginning.
Her father Matt Martin played college football at Western Illinois University and later became the head football coach at Edwardsville High School in 2011. Several of his former players have gone on to play at the Division I level, including A.J. Epenesa, the defensive end who has played for the Buffalo Bills in the NFL. Her mother Jill Martin was equally supportive and the family moved from Granite City to Edwardsville during Kate’s childhood.
Kate Martin Father
Her father, Matthew (Matt) Martin, is a former collegiate football player at Western Illinois University who became a high school coach. As head coach of Edwardsville High School football from 2011, he compiled a 40-14 record over five seasons. He coached Kate throughout her youth in recreational leagues and instilled in her the competitive drive that would define her career. After his daughter’s Iowa years made the family famous in the region, Matt and Jill moved from Edwardsville to Moline, Illinois.
Kate Martin Mother
Her mother, Jill Martin, is a teacher. She provided the emotional support and encouragement at the core of Kate’s development, attending games throughout her daughter’s career from high school through the WNBA. When Kate became prominent during Iowa’s 2023 and 2024 NCAA Tournament runs, both parents became something of public figures themselves, with waitresses at a Davenport restaurant running into the parking lot to take selfies with Matt and Jill.
Kate Martin Siblings and Family Background
Her older sister Kennedy Martin is a former basketball player who played as a forward at Truman State University, appearing in 68 games and earning a marketing degree. Her older brother Trevor Martin has a son named Carson, making Kate an aunt, a role she references in her Instagram biography. Her maternal aunt Julie Fitzpatrick is married to Jan Jensen, who served as associate head coach under Lisa Bluder at Iowa for 20 years before becoming Iowa’s head women’s basketball coach in May 2024 following Bluder’s retirement. Martin’s connection to Jensen meant she attended Iowa basketball camps every summer from middle school onward.
Kate Martin Education
Sport and academics ran alongside each other throughout Kate Martin’s school years. She attended Edwardsville High School, where she played varsity basketball and volleyball. Her high school basketball record was 122-6, with four regional titles and a runner-up finish in the state tournament. In her senior season she averaged 16.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.88 assists, and 2.13 steals per game. She was named Gatorade Illinois Player of the Year and Illinois Miss Basketball.
Her path to Iowa was shaped by the family’s connection to Jan Jensen. Martin began attending Iowa basketball camps every summer in middle school, developing familiarity with the program’s culture before she ever enrolled. She verbally committed to Iowa during her junior year in 2017. During an August 2018 practice for the Illinois High School All-Star Game, she tore the ACL in her left knee, missing her senior fall season. She recovered, graduated, and enrolled at Iowa in 2019, going on to complete her degree there in 2024.
Kate Martin Career
The career of Kate Martin is built on a foundation of doing exactly what is needed rather than what is noticed. At Iowa, that earned her the nickname “The Glue.” In the WNBA, it got her selected for a league-wide expansion draft after a rookie year nobody expected her to have, because she did not expect it herself.
Kate Martin at Edwardsville High School
Edwardsville High School gave Kate Martin her first platform. She played varsity basketball all four years, compiled a 122-6 record, won four regional titles, and led the Tigers to a state runner-up finish. Her senior averages of 16.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.13 steals per game confirmed her as one of Illinois’s top players and earned her state-wide recognition.
Kate Martin at the University of Iowa
She enrolled at Iowa in the fall of 2019 as a three-star recruit, one of the less heralded members of her class. Over five seasons she became one of the most respected players in the program’s history.
She captained the Hawkeyes for four consecutive seasons, an unusual distinction that reflected her teammates’ trust in her leadership. In 2023, she became the first women’s basketball player in Iowa program history to accumulate over 900 points, 500 rebounds, 400 assists, 120 steals, and 60 blocks in a career. She is also the 43rd player in Iowa program history to reach 1,000 career points.
During her five years, Iowa posted a 132-37 record, advanced to four consecutive NCAA Tournaments including consecutive national championship game appearances in 2023 and 2024, won three Big Ten Tournament championships, and captured the 2022 Big Ten regular season title. Her most celebrated individual moment came in the 2024 Final Four against UConn, when she was elbowed in the face by Aaliyah Edwards, left the court bleeding, and returned in the fourth quarter to score clutch baskets including an 11-point, 8-rebound, 2-steal performance that secured a 71-69 victory and a second consecutive trip to the national championship game.
Her senior year averages of 13.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.3 assists on 57 percent field goal shooting earned her second-team All-Big Ten recognition by the Associated Press.
Kate Martin in the WNBA
She attended the 2024 WNBA Draft in April only to support her teammate Caitlin Clark. She did not believe she was going to be selected. When the Las Vegas Aces called her name with the 18th pick in the second round, she was shocked. Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase later described the moment as proof of what happens when you work hard and stay focused on your goal.
She signed a four-year rookie scale contract with Las Vegas for $297,045, made the Aces’ opening roster, and appeared in 34 regular season games, averaging 2.6 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 0.9 assists in 11.5 minutes per game in her debut season.
On December 6, 2024, she was selected by the Golden State Valkyries in the WNBA Expansion Draft. The Valkyries were the league’s newest franchise and her energy, defensive instincts, and veteran Iowa experience made her a natural fit for a team building its identity from scratch. In Unrivaled’s inaugural season she played for Laces BC, averaging 8.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.2 steals across six games and recording her first career double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds against Phantom BC.
Her 2025 WNBA season with the Valkyries saw significant growth. She scored a career-high 21 points, 14 of them in the fourth quarter, in a loss to the New York Liberty on June 26, 2025, demonstrating the clutch capability that Iowa fans had always known she possessed. She also set a career-high 5 assists against the Washington Mystics on August 31, 2025.
For the 2026 WNBA season she joined the Los Angeles Sparks, and she also participated in the Unrivaled league’s second season as a member of Breeze BC.
Kate Martin Religion and Community
What is Kate Martin’s Religion
Kate Martin’s religion is not publicly confirmed in any credible source. She has not made formal public statements about her personal faith.
What is Kate Martin’s Community
She is an American from Edwardsville, Illinois, a city in Madison County in the greater St. Louis metropolitan area. She maintains strong ties to both Edwardsville and the University of Iowa community.
Kate Martin Personal Life and Relationships
Kate Martin is single. She has not publicly confirmed being in a romantic relationship or having a boyfriend. Multiple sources note that she keeps her personal life private and has focused primarily on her basketball career.
Is Kate Martin Married
She is not married.
Kate Martin Boyfriend
She has not publicly confirmed any boyfriend or romantic partner. She is described across multiple credible sources as single and focused on her career.
Kate Martin Children
She has no children. She is, however, an aunt to her brother Trevor’s son Carson, a role she references in her Instagram biography.
Kate Martin Height, Weight and Physical Appearance
Kate Martin stands at 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) and weighs 172 lb (78 kg), measurements that give her a strong physical presence as a guard in the WNBA. Her size allows her to defend multiple positions and attack the glass at a level unusual for a guard.
Kate Martin Net Worth and Earnings
Kate Martin signed a four-year rookie scale WNBA contract with the Las Vegas Aces in April 2024 for a total of $297,045, as reported by Spotrac. Her net worth is estimated at between $300,000 and $500,000, reflecting her WNBA earnings and growing off-court profile. She has attracted sponsorship interest following her prominent Iowa career and the national attention generated by the 2023 and 2024 NCAA Tournament runs alongside Caitlin Clark.
| Source | Amount | Notes |
| WNBA rookie scale contract | $297,045 (4 years) | Signed April 2024; Las Vegas Aces |
| Net worth estimate | $300,000 to $500,000 | Not officially confirmed |
| Unrivaled league earnings | Not publicly confirmed | Laces BC (2025); Breeze BC (2026) |
Kate Martin Social Media
| Platform | Handle | Notes |
| @katemartin__6 | Active; personal updates, basketball content | |
| Twitter/X | @KateMartinnn6 | Active; basketball commentary and updates |
| Not publicly confirmed | No confirmed official page |
Her social media presence grew substantially during Iowa’s 2023 and 2024 NCAA Tournament runs, driven in part by the national spotlight around Caitlin Clark and the viral moments from Iowa’s games. She maintains an active Instagram profile referencing her role as Carson’s aunt.
Lesser Known Facts About Kate Martin
- She attended the 2024 WNBA Draft not because she expected to be selected but to support her teammate Caitlin Clark. When the Las Vegas Aces called her name in the second round, she was visibly surprised, which became one of the most talked-about moments of the draft broadcast.
- She started playing basketball at age five, was playing recreational leagues by primary school, and began attending University of Iowa basketball camps every summer from middle school onward, giving her an unusually long connection to the program before she ever enrolled.
- In elementary school she played tackle football, a detail that speaks to both her athleticism and the competitive environment her father’s coaching career created around her.
- She tore the ACL in her left knee during an August 2018 practice for the Illinois High School All-Star Game, missing most of her senior fall season, and made a full recovery before enrolling at Iowa.
- Her maternal aunt Julie Fitzpatrick is married to Jan Jensen, Iowa’s current head women’s basketball coach, meaning Martin grew up with an inside connection to one of the country’s top collegiate programs before she was ever recruited.
- Iowa’s head coach Jan Jensen was in the arena for a Golden State Valkyries vs. Minnesota Lynx game in 2025, visiting Martin on the court pregame, a moment Iowa Women’s Basketball shared on Instagram and which Martin reposted with the message “Go hawks always.”
- Iowa posted a 132-37 record during her five seasons there, an extraordinary stretch of sustained excellence that included consecutive national championship game appearances, three Big Ten Tournament titles, and a regular season Big Ten championship.
- She became the first player in Iowa women’s basketball program history to accumulate more than 900 points, 500 rebounds, 400 assists, 120 steals, and 60 blocks across a career, a combination of statistics that reflects her all-round rather than one-dimensional contribution.
- Her father Matt Martin coached A.J. Epenesa, the NFL defensive end who has played for the Buffalo Bills, at Edwardsville High School, placing her family at the center of one of Illinois’s most productive athletic communities.
- The nickname “The Glue” followed her from Iowa to the WNBA, applied by coaches, teammates, and commentators who recognised that her contributions, whether defensive stops, contested rebounds, or selfless screens, were more visible in the outcome than in the box score.
At 26 and entering her third WNBA season with the Los Angeles Sparks while continuing to play Unrivaled with Breeze BC, Kate Martin is building a professional career on the same foundation that made her an Iowa legend, doing whatever is needed, doing it without complaint, and doing it better than anyone expects. The Glue holds.
Kate Martin FAQ
Who is Kate Martin?
Kate Marie Martin is an American professional basketball player born on June 5, 2000, in Edwardsville, Illinois. She is a guard for the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA and for Breeze BC in the Unrivaled league. She played five seasons at the University of Iowa, captaining the Hawkeyes alongside Caitlin Clark, and was selected 18th overall by the Las Vegas Aces in the 2024 WNBA Draft.
How old is Kate Martin?
She was born on June 5, 2000. As of 2026, she is 26 years old.
What is Kate Martin’s net worth?
Her net worth is estimated at between $300,000 and $500,000, drawn primarily from her WNBA rookie contract of $297,045 over four years and growing commercial interest. No official figure has been confirmed.
Is Kate Martin married?
She is not married. She is currently single and has not officially disclosed any romantic relationship publicly.
Who are Kate Martin’s parents?
Her father is Matthew (Matt) Martin, a former Western Illinois University football player who became a high school football coach at Edwardsville. Her mother is Jill Martin, a teacher. Both parents were teachers in the Edwardsville area.
What is Kate Martin’s nickname?
She is widely known as “The Glue,” a nickname earned during her Iowa career for her selfless, team-first style of play that contributed wins without necessarily dominating statistics.
How tall is Kate Martin?
She stands at 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) and weighs 172 lb (78 kg).
What is Kate Martin’s connection to Jan Jensen?
Jan Jensen, the current head coach of Iowa women’s basketball, is married to Julie Fitzpatrick, who is the biological aunt of Kate Martin. This family connection meant Martin attended Iowa basketball camps every summer from middle school and developed a deep familiarity with the program before being recruited.
What is Kate Martin’s career high in scoring?
Her WNBA career high is 21 points, scored for the Golden State Valkyries against the New York Liberty on June 26, 2025, with 14 of those points coming in the fourth quarter.
What teams has Kate Martin played for?
In the WNBA she has played for the Las Vegas Aces (2024), Golden State Valkyries (2025), and Los Angeles Sparks (2026). In the Unrivaled three-on-three league she played for Laces BC (2025) and Breeze BC (2026).
Sources
WNBA.com Kate Martin player profile
https://www.wnba.com/webview/player/1642324
Basketball Reference Kate Martin WNBA stats
https://www.basketball-reference.com/wnba/players/m/martika01w.html
EssentiallySports Kate Martin parents
https://www.essentiallysports.com/ncaa-college-basketball-news-who-are-kate-martin-s-parents-deep-dive-into-family-history-of-iowas-born-leader/
Pro Football Network Is Iowa HC Jan Jensen related to Kate Martin? https://www.profootballnetwork.com/womens-cbb/is-iowa-hc-jan-jensen-related-to-wnba-star-kate-martin/
The Telegraph (Hearst Illinois) Kate Martin’s family along on basketball journey https://www.thetelegraph.com/sports/article/kate-martin-s-family-along-basketball-journey-19411766.php
Bolavip US Kate Martin profile
https://bolavip.com/en/wnba/kate-martin-profile
Sports Illustrated WNBA Kate Martin had three words for Iowa Hawkeyes
https://www.si.com/wnba/valkyries/kate-martin-had-three-words-for-iowa-hawkeyes-on-sunday-01jzghv5b4h1