LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Sparks added depth and shooting to their backcourt on Sunday, signing guard Kate Martin to a player development contract following her release from the Golden State Valkyries earlier this week.
Martin, who played collegiately at the University of Iowa and helped lead the Hawkeyes to back-to-back national championship game appearances, joins Los Angeles after appearing in 76 WNBA games across her first two professional seasons.
“Kate is a gifted shooter, whose grittiness and winning history mesh well with Sparks basketball,” Sparks general manager Raegan Pebley said in a statement. “She’s confident in her shot, plays tenacious defense and is an unselfish, high-energy teammate. We’re eager to watch Kate develop within our system.”
Martin was selected by the Las Vegas Aces with the 18th overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft after a standout career at Iowa alongside former Hawkeyes star Caitlin Clark. As a rookie in Las Vegas, Martin carved out a role as a reliable perimeter shooter, connecting on 35.5% of her 3-point attempts while shooting 91.7% from the free-throw line.
Before the 2025 season, Martin was selected by Golden State in the WNBA expansion draft. She averaged 6.2 points per game with the Valkyries before being waived Thursday.
The 6-foot guard built one of the most versatile résumés in Iowa program history. Martin became the first women’s basketball player at Iowa to record at least 900 points, 500 rebounds, 400 assists, 120 steals and 60 blocks in a career. The Illinois native also earned a reputation as one of the Hawkeyes’ emotional leaders during consecutive runs to the NCAA title game.
The Sparks signed Martin to one of the WNBA’s player development pool spots, a roster mechanism designed to help teams cultivate talent outside the salary cap. Teams can carry up to two developmental players, who practice with the club, receive stipends and benefits, and can be activated for as many as 12 regular-season games.
Los Angeles is looking to continue rebuilding its roster under first-year coach Lynne Roberts while adding versatile perimeter players who fit the organization’s emphasis on spacing and defensive intensity.
