“We had all these life plans”: Kate Martin reminisces about planned trips with former Iowa teammates Gabbie Marshall and Jada Gyamfi
Kate Martin was not invited to the 2024 WNBA draft at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York City in mid-April. However, she still made the trip to the multi-arts center to support her Iowa Hawkeyes teammate Caitlin Clark and was a surprising 18th pick by the Los Vegas Aces.
While the unfolding changes altered Martin's professional basketball journey, they also altered her life plans as she didn't think she had a WNBA future. So when Martin appeared on the "Fresh Tawk" podcast hosted by her former college teammate Jada Gyamfi, the two could not help but touch on their disrupted plans for the summer.
"Remember when you, me and Gabbie were gonna go on a trip and it never happened because life happened so fast," Martin said as Gyamfi agreed. "It's crazy because we were planning that trip like we were gonna have like two while months together. I didn't think I was going to be in the WNBA so it's so funny that we had all these life plans."
"We were going to get a cabin and we were going to [not use phones on weekends], we're so stupid, we're so dumb, dance in the rain, that would've been fun," Gyamfi said.
Jada Gyamfi is the only active Hawkeye from the trio. While Kate Martin has transitioned to the big league, Gabbie Marshall is looking forward to continuing her education with a master's in occupational therapy from North Carolina.
Gyamfi is currently in her junior season and a part of the new-age Hawkeyes, whom the first-time head coach Jan Jensen will lead. Moreover, she will undertake larger responsibilities in the coming season, leading to better opportunities on the court and the potential for mounting her best season so far.
Kate Martin was on the verge of calling off her college career
Due to the ever-changing dynamics of college basketball, Kate Martin was part of several Iowa Hawkeyes renditions. However, when her teammate and close friend Monika Czinano left the program to pursue the big league, she had a hard time adjusting to the change, forcing her to contemplate quitting basketball altogether.
"I was like if Monika's not going to be around, I'm not going to be around," Martin said on the same podcast. "And Monika is watching us back there (in the peanut gallery). It's just so funny. I literally was like, 'I don't think I can do college basketball without Monika.'"
Nevertheless, Kate Martin's lone season without Czinano resulted in an overall increase in her production. From averages of 7.7 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists in the 2022-23 college season, Martin improved to 13.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists, albeit while touching the 50% efficiency mark for the first time in her career.
She has appeared in 23 games for the Aces this season, making one start and averaging 3.4 points, 1.1 assists and 2.0 rebounds in 13.8 minutes per game.