Kate Martin made a journey to the WNBA draft to show her support for her Iowa teammate, Caitlin Clark. However, she found herself in for a pleasant surprise when she was drafted by the Las Vegas Aces as the 18th overall pick, champions of the previous season.

Expressing her mixed emotions, Martin shared in an interview on ESPN, “There are a lot of emotions right now. I’m really happy to be here. I was here to support Caitlin, but I was hoping to hear my name called. All I wanted was an opportunity and I got it. I’m really excited.”

Among the 1,000 fans gathered inside the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Martin sat alongside her former Iowa teammates Gabbie Marshall and Jada Gyamfi. As her name was announced, she embraced Hawkeyes assistant coach Jan Jensen.

Reflecting on her new opportunity, Martin remarked, “I’m super excited for the opportunity. I have a really good work ethic.”

Martin contributed significantly to Iowa’s journey to the NCAA title game for the second consecutive season, culminating her collegiate career with impressive statistics: 1,299 points, 756 rebounds, and 473 assists.

Iowa celebrated a milestone as, alongside Clark, who was drafted first by Indiana, the team had two players selected in the draft for the first time since 1998.

The WNBA is gearing up for its training camp opening on April 28, with the season set to commence on May 14.

Despite not having any picks in the first round, the Aces capitalized on three second-round choices. Among their selections was Syracuse guard Dyaisha Fair, the third-leading scorer in NCAA Division I history, taken with the 16th pick.

The team rounded off the round by drafting Elizabeth Kitley from Virginia Tech, who is currently recovering from a torn ACL and was seen attending on crutches, ruling her out for the season.