Add Kate Martin to the list. Martin, after a rookie campaign with the Las Vegas Aces, is officially the newest member unmatched basketball leagueThe new 3×3 women’s professional basketball which will take place during wnba off season.
Martin becomes the 27th WNBA player to publicly commit to the league, joining an unmatched rookie class that already includes Angel Reese and Rickia Jackson. His involvement is a slam dunk for Unrivaled, as it is sure to bring additional eyes to the league, while also helping organizers prepare the final roster.
Unravelling, co-founded by Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, is set to launch in January, and offers an alternative for players who might otherwise go abroad. The league is branded to feature the world’s best basketball players, all of whom will receive a minimum salary of $100,000 in addition to equity.
The full list of unmatched players now includes:
alisha gray (Dream), angel reese (Sky), Arike Ogunbowale (Wings), Azura Stevens (Sparks), Breanna Stewart (Liberty), Brittany Sykes (Mystics), brittany griner (Mercury), chelsea gray (aces), Courtney Vandersloot (Freedom), courtney williams (links), diorica hamby (spark), dijon carrington (Sun), jackie young (aces), jewel lloyd (Storm), Kahleigh KoppeR (Mercury), kate martin (aces), Kayla McBride (links), kelsey plum (aces), marina mabrey (Sun), Nafeesa Collier (links), Natasha Badal (Mercury), raine howard (Dream), rickia jackson (spark), Satou Sabli (Wing), Skylar Diggins-Smith (Hurricane), Shakira Austin (Mystics), and tiffany hayes (aces).
Why Kate Martin in Unrevealed Makes All the Meaning in the World
The inclusion of Kate Martin in Unrivaled was immediately criticized by some, given the fact that she is not currently a top 30 WNBA player. However, his involvement makes a lot of sense for several reasons, including his immense personal popularity – and the fact that he is much better than people may realize.
For one thing, Martin is incredibly popular; She sold the fourth-most jerseys of any WNBA player, and will clearly be a big draw for fans. Given that Unrivaled is a brand new league lucrative media dealThe more popular players participating in the inaugural season, the better. Martin sold more jerseys than any player other than Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Sabrina Ionescu.
Additionally, in just a few hours, the tweet announcing their participation has already received over 24 likes out of the 26 announcements – Dijonai Carrington and Rickia Jackson’s announcements went the most viral, though Martin’s announcement was certainly the most popular to come. Can be liked the most in these times. hours. Martin also racked up 12th most WNBA All-Star fan votes Withdrawal after first voting.
Popularity aside, despite the fact that she is not as skilled as most of Unrivaled’s committed players, Martin did 10th most played Minutes among beginners. Martin’s popularity certainly extends beyond his on-court accomplishments as a professional, but no matter how you slice it, he’s an all-around player who deserves some minutes on the defending champion’s list. Are. She was one of four second-round picks to make the opening day list.
“Her mind flies off the page,” Aces head coach Becky Hammon told reporters at the beginning of the year. “She is someone who understands angles, is at the right place at the right time, makes the right reads. He’s already built a lot of trust in the locker room and with us coaches. And at the end of the day, his hard work factor is off the charts.
The Las Vegas Aces rookie ultimately appeared in 34 games this season, averaging 2.6 points and 1.6 rebounds in 11.5 minutes per game. And, while she fell out of the postseason rotation, Martin expressed her gratitude for a successful rookie season.
Intentionally or not, Martin may also have given Caitlin Clarke a draw to participate. The friendship of former University of Iowa teammates goes back well and it has been reported Unmatched is making every possible effort Trying to recruit Clark to play.
That being said, Martin seems to have been committed to Unravelled for some time now. When asked about his offseason plans By reporter Owen Sebring In August, Martin cryptically said: “I have plans. I’m not sharing them right now.” While his inclusion in Unrevealed isn’t a last-minute move to lure Clarke into playing, it could certainly have an impact.
From Martin’s perspective, playing Unrivalled also makes a lot of sense. She’ll join fellow Aces players Jackie Young, Chelsea Gray, Kelsey Plum and Tiffany Hayes in Miami and make significantly more money than she did as a rookie. He also needs to work on his game, playing on TNT two nights a week and trying a new style of basketball. The announcement appears to be a win-win for both the brand new league and the versatile 24-year-old who just wants to play. as many basketballs as possible,
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