Aces Fans Question Future of Kate Martin as Playing Time Dwindles

Fans of the Las Vegas Aces are wondering where rookie guard Kate Martin’s playing time went.

The Aces selected Martin with the 18th overall pick in the second round of the 2024 WNBA draft, and she made an immediate impact off the bench. As the season has progressed, however, the former Iowa standout’s minutes have dwindled, leaving her fans baffled by the seemingly sudden change.

Martin averaged 13.6 minutes per game heading into the WNBA’s All-Star weekend, which kicked off on July 20. The league took a near month-long break from July 21-August 17 for the Olympics, and when action on the court resumed for the Aces, Martin felt noticeably absent — because she was.

The Aces rookie is averaging 4.54 minutes per game since the Aces returned to action on August 17. Whether this is due to an injury she sustained in July prior to the break, or shuffling in the lineup courtesy of Aces coach Becky Hammon, it’s clear Martin’s playing time has dropped. What isn’t clear is whether or not this is a trend that’s going to continue.

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Fans of Kate Martin, Aces, Question Rookie’s Lack of Playing Time

“Why is Kate Martin not getting any playing time? She went from getting some solid minutes pre-Olympic break to now not getting any minutes,” one fan wondered on X.

“I’m just gonna say it, Aces were playing better ball when Kate Martin was getting serious minutes,” another fan wrote.

“Right??? Why is Kate Martin being punished? Since the second half of the season started, I feel like Becky puts her in for a few minutes to make her fans happy. WTF? Why isn’t Kate Martin playing?” replied another.

Others expressed their frustrations with graphics, videos and memes like this:

And this:

There was also an element of WNBA fans who expressed a desire to see Martin reunite with her former college teammate, current Indiana Fever starter Caitlin Clark.

“Trade Kate Martin and Meg Gustafson to the Fever for NaLyssa (Smith) and a bag of chips,” one fan opined.

Martin suffered an injury to her lower right leg against the Chicago Sky on July 16. It’s possible Hammon has been easing her back into the lineup. That said, Martin’s father Matt told KCCI in July that the injury she suffered was a bruised Achilles tendon, which is less serious than a sprain or tear.

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Martin: ‘I Feel Really Grateful’ to Play for Aces

For her part, Martin has always been a first-class teammate, and she’s not one to complain about her minutes, however low they may be.

“I think just being part of this fun culture, this winning culture, you know, coming to the back-to-back world champions, that’s pretty cool. To learn some from some great vets and some great coaches, I feel really grateful for that,” Martin told Desert Wave Media on September 1.

When asked her thoughts about how her rookie season has gone thus far, Martin was candid.

“Ups and downs, obviously it’s not gonna be perfect, but I’m just trying to learn as much as I possibly can, take it day by day,” she said. “That’s really it. I didn’t have big expectations, high expectations coming in, so just taking nothing for granted and working really hard every single day, that’s all I can do, and just having a good attitude.”

Martin is averaging 2.6 points, 1.6 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game and is shooting 37.5% from the 3-point line.

“I feel so grateful,” Martin said about the fan support she has received since entering the “W.”

“I don’t know if I deserve all of that. That’s just crazy, but I feel really grateful for it.”

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