Las Vegas Aces guard Kate Martin recently got fans abuzz when she made comments about her future plans.
Martin appeared on the August 6 episode of “Fresh Tawk,” a podcast hosted by her former Iowa teammate, Hawkeyes sophomore forward Jada Gyamfi. Currently in her rookie season with the Aces, Martin is set to make the league minimum this year, which is $64,154, according to Spotrac.
The WNBA currently has its cap for max contracts at $241,984 per season, and due to the pay disparity between it and the NBA, many players in the ‘W’ still have to find supplemental income during the offseason.
Gyamfi and Martin discussed this topic, and Gyamfi asked Martin if she would need to get a job in the offseason. “Imagine LeBron James just like, working at the Target in Los Angeles,” Gyamfi said.
“LeBron James and me, we don’t make the same amount of money,” Martin said with a laugh, before replying: “I’m not going to be getting another job, but like I will be doing another basketball job, like a different –” Martin said, before cutting herself off there.
Kate Martin’s Comments Spark Speculation She’ll Be Playing in ‘Unrivaled’ League
Together, two WNBA superstars, Breanna Stewart of the New York Liberty and Napheesa Collier of the Minnesota Lynx, are launching “Unrivaled,” a 3×3 women’s basketball league set to debut in January of 2025.
The new “Unrivaled” league will have six teams, each with five players. A huge draw is that the average salary for players is anticipated to be $250,000 per season. For a rookie in Martin’s shoes — and for many WNBA players — that would be quite a hefty pay bump.
Neither the new league nor Martin have confirmed she’s joining, but her comments about “another basketball job” got fans wondering:
Wait… is there a chance that @kate_martin22 is doing Unrivaled?!? 🤔
In addition to Stewart and Collier, players set to play in the new league include: Kelsey Plum, Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young of the Las Vegas Aces, Arike Ogunbowale of the Dallas Wings, Jewell Loyd of the Seattle Storm, Rhyne Howard of the Atlanta Dream, Kahleah Copper of the Phoenix Mercury, UConn Huskies star Paige Bueckers and Chicago Sky rookie forward Angel Reese.
Fans Nearly Voted Martin Into 2024 WNBA All-Star Game
Martin is averaging 3.6 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 14.3 minutes of action so far in her rookie season. She has quickly become a favorite of the fan base, as well as the locker room. The former Iowa standout went from being unsure she’d even get drafted to being one of the top 36 vote-getters for the WNBA All-Star game, which she admits surprised her.
“I feel really grateful to be in the position I’m in. I honestly did not expect to have any fans when I came here. I had no expectations in that sort of way and I think fans liked that,” Martin said, adding:
“I don’t really get it, honestly. If I’m being honest, at the end of the day, I don’t get it. But I feel super grateful for it. It gives me a little bit of confidence, it makes me feel good when I hear the fans cheer for me when I’m checking in. So, I really appreciate that.”
Martin suffered what appeared to be a lower leg injury against the Sky in the final game before the All-Star break, but the injury shouldn’t be a season-ending one. Martin’s father told KCCI that the injury was a “bruised Achilles tendon,” and that she should be back on the court yet this season.
Martin and the Aces resume their regular season on August 17.
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Aces Guard Kate Martin Hints at New Future ‘Basketball Job’