Aces Fans Question Future of Kate Martin as Playing Time Dwindles
Fans of the Las Vegas Aces are wondering where rookie guard Kate Martin’s playing time went.
The Aces selected Martin with the 18th overall pick in the second round of the 2024 WNBA draft, and she made an immediate impact off the bench.
As the season has progressed, however, the former Iowa standout’s minutes have dwindled, leaving her fans baffled by the seemingly sudden change.
Martin averaged 13.6 minutes per game heading into the WNBA’s All-Star weekend, which kicked off on July 20. The league took a near month-long break from July 21-August 17 for the Olympics, and when action on the court resumed for the Aces, Martin felt noticeably absent — because she was.
The Aces rookie is averaging 4.54 minutes per game since the Aces returned to action on August 17.
Whether this is due to an injury she sustained in July prior to the break, or shuffling in the lineup courtesy of Aces coach Becky Hammon, it’s clear Martin’s playing time has dropped. What isn’t clear is whether or not this is a trend that’s going to continue.
Fans of Kate Martin, Aces, Question Rookie’s Lack of Playing Time
“Why is Kate Martin not getting any playing time? She went from getting some solid minutes pre-Olympic break to now not getting any minutes,” one fan wondered on X.
“I’m just gonna say it, Aces were playing better ball when Kate Martin was getting serious minutes,” another fan wrote.
“Right??? Why is Kate Martin being punished? Since the second half of the season started, I feel like Becky puts her in for a few minutes to make her fans happy. WTF? Why isn’t Kate Martin playing?” replied another.
Others expressed their frustrations with graphics, videos and memes like this:
