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As the new WNBA season opened shop, all eyes have focused on Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark and her potential impact on her team. NBA star Damian Lillard expressed his excitement for Kate Martin, Caitlin Clark's teammate in Iowa, and her potential impact for the Las Vegas Aces.
Martin, who was selected in the second round of the 2024 WNBA Draft as the 18th overall pick, made the final cut for the Aces at the conclusion of training camp. She was one of four second-round picks to make it on an opening day roster.
Damian Lillard makes bold prediction for Kate Martin ahead of Aces debut season
Damian Lillard gave his endorsement of Kate Martin through a post on social media network Instagram that Martin, seemingly saying she will be a welcome addition to the stacked Aces roster ahead of their title defense.
“She gone be good for the team fasho…ball player,” Lillard said in the post, which featured a photo of Martin being drafted and her subsequently making the final cut.
Damian Lillard has some bold prediction for Las Vegas Aces' Kate Martin: "She gone be good for the team fasho… ball player." pic.twitter.com/MWXgYHVdEA
— Kit Guinhawa (@BeatKit22) May 15, 2024
Despite not receiving a formal invitation from the WNBA, Martin still attended the draft ceremonies to support former Iowa teammate and subsequent number one overall pick Caitlin Clark. Martin then joined Caitlin Clark among the draftees as the Aces' second-round selection.
Martin later admitted that her addition to the Aces roster following training camp brought her to tears and proved that her hard work paid off.
In her college career, Martin played 163 games and averaged 8.0 points on 46.4% shooting from the field and a 35.5% three-point shooting clip, with 4.6 rebounds per game.
Aces aim to etch name in history with potential three-peat
The Aces are back-to-back defending champions aiming for a rare three-peat, a feat last achieved from 1997 to 2000 by the defunct Houston Comets led by Hall of Famers Cynthia Cooper, Sheryl Swoopes, and Tina Thompson.
Despite the retirement of veteran Candace Parker before the start of the pre-season, the Aces boasts of a solid core consisting of stars like A'ja Wilson, Kelsey Plum and Chelsea Gray under the guidance of WNBA and international legend turned Head Coach Becky Hammon.
A'ja Wilson is staying hungry and detailed several personal bucket list items in a recent NBA TV interview ahead of the season, despite coming off a campaign that led to back-to-back titles.
“I love the game… I don't want to be average, I want to continue to uplift each other and myself,” Wilson said. “But at the same time, it's still things I want to check off… still things that I want to do. I don't just want to die down and be like, ‘oh, she was good in the first part of her career, what happened?' I want to continue to push that needle, continue to grow in my game and along with my teammates.”
Meanwhile, Kelsey Plum dealt with personal issues in the offseason, which added challenges in her focusing on basketball this season.
Tom Brady visit charges Aces in banner raising night
Seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady paid a visit at the Aces' locker room prior to their season opener against the Phoenix Mercury, which Head Coach Becky Hammon kept a secret beforehand. The game also served as the Aces' celebration of their 2023 title as they raised their championship banner up the rafters of the Michelob Ultra Arena.
“[Tom Brady] was saying, ‘The banners are always going to be there, so you don't have to try to defend that. Just go do what you've been doing,'” Wilson said, referring to the remarks made by Brady, who is also a minority owner in the Aces.
The Aces successfully ended their banner night with a win over the Mercury, 89-80.
