Kate Martin Makes Las Vegas Aces

Kate Martin knew she was going to have to work to get a roster spot with the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces.

Which is why the former Iowa player said she “cried” when coach Becky Hammon told her she had made the team’s roster to open the season.

“I was so excited,” Martin said Monday after the team’s roster was officially announced. “I just felt like a lot of hard work was paying off.”

Martin, a six-season player at Iowa who was part of the last two Hawkeye teams that made it to the NCAA tournament’s national championship game, was a surprise second-round pick of the WNBA two-time defending champion Aces in last month’s draft. Being picked didn’t mean it was a done deal that she would make the 12-player roster.

“Whenever you come into a team like this, who are back-to-back world champions, you don’t really know what your odds are going to be,” Martin said. “And so I was really proud of myself and I was really happy that I gave myself the opportunity to make the team and be alongside some really great teammates.”

Martin said she didn’t know what the news was going to be when she was called into Hammon’s office last week.

“When I sat down, she had a stern look on her face and I was shaking in my boots.” Martin said. “So it was a little scary, but then she told me not to be nervous and told me congratulations and said some nice things. And so I just feel really lucky and extremely excited thatI get to cont