It was an Iowa women’s basketball party Saturday night in Las Vegas, and for once, Caitlin Clark didn’t finish as the main attraction.
It was Kate Martin who stole the show.
The Aces rookie delivered 12 points and seven rebounds while playing a game-high 22 bench minutes, helping propel the Aces to a 99-80 win over Clark’s Indiana Fever.
With her former Iowa coaches Jan Jensen, Lisa Bluder and Jenni Fitzgerald, along with their families, all sitting courtside, Martin led the way in a matchup that put her, Clark and former Iowa star and Aces reserve Megan Gustafson all on the floor at the same time.
Now, obviously these two franchises are in very different spots, asking the respective former Hawkeyes on their roster to shoulder very different expectations. Clark continues to push through growing pains as a WNBA rookie on a rebuilding team. Martin and Gustafson have latched on with the two-time defending champs and play important roles off the bench.
Still, Saturday created the perfect scene for Martin to take center stage.
She checked in with roughly three minutes remaining in the first quarter and immediately guarded Clark for a few possessions. Two different rebound opportunities saw the two friends and former teammates chase after loose balls. Martin got extended second-half run as well and took advantage with a second trey plus a tough basket and free throw. She had Clark on her multiple times bringing the ball up the court and inbounding.
“It’s pretty cool when your college coaches are sitting courtside right next to the bench,” Martin said on the postgame show. “Las Vegas just has a fun environment here. It’s a really fun team to be a part of. I’m grateful to be a part of this organization and have the fan support that we do here. And it’s cool that a lot of Hawkeye nation could come out as well.”
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Source: Tampa Bay Times
