Kate Martin’s young WNBA career has taken her to multiple spots around the country. Now, after being waived by the Los Angeles Sparks, the former Iowa star received an outpouring of support following the announcement of her latest move to the Chicago Sky.
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The Sky recently announced that they had signed Martin, who was waived by the Sparks on August 29, via Instagram and X, on a developmental contract for the rest of the season. They had a spot open on the roster following the exit of forward Maddy Westbeld, who was signed by the Phoenix Mercury.
It drew a bunch of reactions from faces both familiar and new. Among them was Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Jan Jensen, who couldn’t hide her excitement after knowing she was closer to Hawkeyes Country.
“Hawk Fans…how pumped are we that @kate_martin22 is now so close to Hawkeye Country?!🙌🏼😀 Let’s Goooo, Kate!!!! We’re so happy for you, Kate…love you!” Jensen wrote on X.
Martin is a massive part of recent Iowa Hawkeyes history. Before starting her career in the league, she played five years for the program and helped the team reach the National Title game in her final two seasons in the backcourt alongside Caitlin Clark.
Over her career there, she averaged 8 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.9 assists while making a name as one of the best shooters on the team, averaging 35.5% from long range and peaking at 41.4% during the 2022-23 season.
The welcoming sentiment seems to extend to her new teammates. Sky guard Skylar Diggins liked the post, and Martin’s arrival may be directly related to Diggins.
Diggins was officially shut down for the rest of the season on September 1st after missing an extended stretch of games with a knee injury. With the team now short on guard depth and perimeter shooting, this could be a real opportunity for Martin to step up and show what she’s capable of.
The announcement also drew attention from former Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder, who reposted it on Instagram. Bluder coached Martin for all five years of her collegiate career. The announcement was also reposted by the official Iowa Hawkeyes Instagram page.
Martin posted the announcement to her Instagram story as well, captioning it “Home state!” to highlight her upbringing in Illinois, where she went to high school in Edwardsville, leading many successful teams, including going 122-6 over her career and never losing a single home game while at Edwardsville.
The Sky has announced that Martin will first be available for the team following the nearly three-week-long break for the FIBA World Cup against the Washington Mystics on September 17. She will wear #20 for the team.
This is just the latest chapter in what’s been a tough journey through the WNBA for Martin. After her rookie year with the Las Vegas Aces, she was picked up by the Golden State Valkyries in the 2025 expansion draft, where she appeared in 42 games. But when the season ended, she was cut from the roster and eventually landed with the Sparks on a developmental contract, signing on May 10th.
She made solid progress with LA, eventually becoming the first player in team history to be upgraded from a developmental contract to the active roster on July 6, and the milestone meant a lot to Sparks GM Raegan Pebley at the time.
“Kate has made a meaningful impact on our group both on and off the court,” said Sparks General Manager Raegan Pebley. ” She brings versatility on both ends of the floor, competes at a high level and consistently puts the team first. We’re excited to see her continue to grow.”
However, that growth won’t be happening in Los Angeles. But with a fresh start on the Sky, Martin now has another shot at proving she belongs at the WNBA level.