Kate Martin Bio: Net Worth, Salary, and Professional Career

As a young prospect, Kate Martin has been turning some heads with her on-court finesse and charm as a player. Though many may have different or even conflicting opinions on the Golden State Valkyries guard, one can never deny that Martin was special entering the league.

Selected as the 18th overall pick by the Las Vegas Aces in 2024, Martin spent six years playing NCAA basketball with the University of Iowa before declaring for the WNBA draft in 2024. This article delves deeper into Martin’s early life, high school, collegiate career, net worth, WNBA career stats, and some lesser-known facts about her personal and social life.

Kate Martin Early Life

Kate Martin frequently attended basketball camps at the University of Iowa every summer. Such was her obsession with the game that young Kate even used to sleep with an Iowa women’s basketball poster above her childhood bed.

Besides basketball, Martin also used to play boys’ tackle football and volleyball and was coached by her dad, Matt Martin. As a volleyball player in her middle school, Martin led her team to win the 2013 seventh-grade IESA Class 4A state championship in straight sets. Kate Martin age is 25 as of now. She recently turned 25.

She alternated between playing volleyball and basketball and led her middle school basketball team to the 2012 IESA Class 4A championship game, where they lost by 3 points. In 2013, Martin was part of her middle school basketball team, which went on to win the state championship with an undefeated 28-0 season. Furthermore, her volleyball team was also placed third in the same year at the eighth-grade state championship. She went on to play varsity basketball for Edwardsville High School in Edwardsville, Illinois, under head coach Lori Blade.

Kate Martin Personal Information

Off the court, Kate is affectionately known as Money Martin, a nickname coined during her rookie year with the Las Vegas Aces for her clutch play and reliable shooting. She holds a Master’s degree in Sport & Recreation Management from Iowa, and remains close with college teammate Caitlin Clark, often attending each other’s games and events. Kate Martin weight is 78 kg.

To better understand Kate Martin's background and journey as a professional athlete, the following table provides her key details. It includes her date of birth, college career, and current team, offering a snapshot of the elements that have shaped her basketball career.

Kate Martin Personal Life

Kate Martin was born on June 5, 2000, to teachers Matt Martin and Jill Martin. She is the youngest of Matt and Jill Martin’s three children and grew up in Granite City and Edwardsville in Illinois, USA. Kate Martin height 6 feet.

Martin’s introduction to basketball was at age 5 when she was participating in recreational leagues and playing pickup games at the local YMCA. Kate Martin is a celebrated player and talked to the sfchronicle saying that,

Kate is a very appreciated player in the WNBA world, but today we will also get to know her a bit on a personal level.

Kate Martin Parents

Kate Martin parents have been extremely supportive. She is the youngest of 3, born to Jill and Matt Martin, who are both teachers. Martin’s dad, Matt Martin, was one of her first coaches and coached her and her siblings’ basketball teams until the seventh grade. He also coached Martin's football team. Kate, being a WNBA icon, is not surprising, as her family consists of many former college athletes.

Julie Fitzpatrick played basketball for Drake, Tom Fitzpatrick played football for Drake, Matt Fitzpatrick played basketball for St. Ambrose, and Mitch Martin played football for Western Illinois. Martin's maternal cousin, Laney Fitzpatrick, interned for Iowa women's basketball operations as an undergraduate.

Kate Martin Girlfriend

Kate Martin girlfriend is Claire Gransee, whom she met during their time at the University of Iowa. Martin and Gransee went public about their relationship in June 2024, and both can often be seen posting adorable updates and posts about their relationship on social media.

According to The US Sun, Martin confirmed her relationship status by replying to a fan on TikTok. Gransee graduated from Iowa with a major in Communication Studies and minors in Law and Media Literacy in 2024. As per her LinkedIn profile, Gransee currently works as a Human Resources Associate at Publicis Sapient as of May 2025.

Kate Martin Contract

Kate Martin contract is about $297,045, a rookie contract with the Las Vegas Aces in April 2024, averaging $74,261 annually. After being selected 18th overall in the 2024 WNBA Draft, she was picked by the Golden State Valkyries in the December 2024 expansion draft. In her rookie season, Martin averaged 2.6 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 0.9 assists over 34 games, shooting 35.5% from three-point range. Her 2025 salary is set at $68,595, with a team option for 2027.

Kate Martin Salary

As per Spotrac, Kate Martin salary is a signed four year $297,045 rookie scale contract with her previous team, the Las Vegas Aces. In her first WNBA season in 2024, Martin earned $67,249. She was recently drafted to the Golden State Valkyries in the 2024 WNBA expansion draft and is set to receive $68,595 in her second WNBA season in 2025.

Her salary is estimated to be $75,456 in 2026, and a team-option year in 2027 worth approximately $85,745, bringing her total earnings over the contract to about $297,045 . The first three years are fully guaranteed, while the final year is contingent on the Valkyries exercising their option, consistent with WNBA rules for a mid to late first round pick.

Kate Martin Net Worth

Though Kate Martin net worth is unconfirmed, her source of income and wealth remains from her WNBA contract and various brand endorsements. After getting drafted by the Las Vegas Aces, Martin signed a 4-year contract worth $297,045, per Spotrac. This would have earned her an average salary of $74,261 in her rookie year and a base salary of $67,249 with a cap hit of $67,249.

In 2024, the Vegas Aces encountered a unique situation when each player was offered $100,000 bonus payments by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA).

The authority’s CEO, Steve Hill, structured the deal like the Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals for collegiate athletes.

This unprecedented sponsorship from a relatively unrelated entity for all Aces players sparked controversy in the league, urging the WNBA to launch an investigation against the Aces.

Kate Martin Endorsements

Kate Martin’s NIL valuation was estimated at around $73,000. She has partnered with several Iowa-based brands:

• HEYDUDE Shoes: She released her custom signature shoes with HEY DUDE shoes.
• Estela’s Fresh Mex: Kate had a show called ‘Keeping up with Kate Martin’ which was hosted by Estela’s Fresh Mex
• RAYGUN: Martin launched her ‘Martini’ t-shirts in collaboration with RAYGUN
• Zimmerman Honda: Kate and Zimmerman Honda hosted a fan meet and greet event at their showroom in Morlin
  In September 2024, Martin also announced a partnership with American Eagle Outfitters via her social media handles. She also appeared in a TikTok ad campaign for TOGETHXR and Alfac alongside Aces’ teammate Sydney Colson.

Kate Martin Career

Kate Martin stats have remained impressive since her college career. She was drafted in the second round of the 2024 WNBA Draft as the 18th overall pick by the Las Vegas Aces. Many fans were surprised when Martin was moved to the newly formed Golden State Valkyries franchise in the 2025 WNBA draft.

As per the WNBA’s statistics, Martin appeared in 34 games for the Las Vegas Aces, averaging only 2.6 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 0.9 assists in 11.5 minutes per game in her rookie WNBA season. She shot 30.7% from the field, 35.5% from the deep, and 91.7% from the FT line. This is not the end of Kate Martin's stats, with the long WNBA season and her even longer basketball career, Kate still has a long way and she has a lot of time to break records in the WNBA.

Kate Martin High School Career

Kate Martin attended Edwardsville High School in Edwardsville, Illinois, where she played varsity basketball all four years under coach Lori Blade. As a freshman, she contributed off the bench, averaging 6.6 points and 3.4 rebounds, helping the team reach the Class 4A state quarterfinals despite losing to future stars .

She became a full-time starter by her sophomore year, earning Class 4A All-State fourth-team honors and averaging approximately 13 points, 5 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 2.7 steals during her junior season, scoring her 1,000th high school career point as the team went 32–1 and reached the state finals .

In her senior year, Martin led Edwardsville to a 30–2 record, averaging an estimated 16.2 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 2.9 APG, and 2.1 SPG, shooting an efficient 63.9% shooting, 50.9% from three, and 80% free throws, finishing with 1,518 career points (fourth-most in school history) 

Kate Martin College Career

Kate Martin had one of the best college careers in her current draft class, playing alongside future WNBA superstars such as Caitlin Clark. Martin marked her collegiate debut on November 7, 2019, in a win over Florida Atlantic. In her freshman year, she did not get many minutes on the court and averaged only 8.1 minutes off the bench.

She eventually became a starter alongside freshman Caitlin Clark in her sophomore year, starting all 30 games and being named the team captain for the Hawkeyes. Despite an injury breaking her nose, Martin posted her first career double-double for Iowa, posting a career-best 19 points (with 5/5 three-pointers), 11 assists, and five rebounds.

The Final Four was also another win in the books for the Hawkeyes, marking their first entry to the national championship game. However, Caitlin Clark and Kate Martin’s Hawkeyes fell short against LSU, thus shattering their hopes of winning a national championship.

Kate Martin Professional Career

Las Vegas Aces drafted Kate Martin as the 18th pick by the Las Vegas Aces in April 2024 and quickly made the opening roster, debuting on May 18 with 3 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and a block over 26 minutes.

Across 34 games that season, she averaged 2.6 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 0.9 assists in 11.5 minutes, shooting 30.7% from the field and 35.5% from three-point range .

During the 2024 expansion draft, she was selected by the Golden State Valkyries, where she saw increased opportunity in 2025. Through the first half of the season, she has been averaging 7.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 0.7 assists in 17.6 minutes that has been highlighted by a career high of 21 points, including 14 in the final quarter) in a narrow loss to the New York Liberty.

Popular for her sharpshooting and defensive tenacity, Martin has become a key rotational piece under coach Natalie Nakase, demonstrating growth and versatility in her role.

Kate Martin Awards and Achievements

Kate Martin’s graduate year was particularly memorable as it etched her name as one of the greatest college hoop legends in women’s basketball. Martin averaged 13.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game, shooting 50.7% from the field. Furthermore, Martin marked an incredible landmark by starting 139 consecutive games for the Hawkeyes, the longest streak in Division I basketball in the last 25 years. Martin finished her college career at Iowa with 1,299 points, 756 rebounds, and 473 assists in 163 games.

Not just stats but Kate Martin was always a solid presence in the Iowa Hawkeyes locker room for other reasons, too. Kate's coach, Lisa Bluder, described her as ‘The Glue’ of their team before the start of the 2021-22 season. This nickname stuck with her throughout her college career. As per the Daily Iowan, Bluder remarked after the 2022 post-game conference,

Kate Martin's achievement include the TV world too as in April 2024, she alongside her Iowa teammates Caitlin Clark, Gabbie Marshall, and Jada Gyamfi appeared in the closing credits of Saturday Night Live.