Kate Martin signs developmental contract with Chicago Sky

Basketball player Kate Martin joined the Chicago Sky on a developmental contract on September 2, 2026, scoring five points with one assist in her debut against the Toronto Tempo. Martin, from Moline, Illinois, was selected 18th overall by the Las Vegas Aces in the 2024 WNBA Draft. She later played for the Golden State Valkyries and the Los Angeles Sparks, averaging 2.3 points in 7.1 minutes across 17 appearances.

Written by AI from Times of India — Top · not yet reviewed by an editor · Published 23 Sept 2026, 11:52 pm IST

Source

Times of India — Top · read the original report ↗

#wnba#kate martin#chicago sky#basketball#iowa hawkeyes

Desk check · some claims need care

What the desk checked (5)

Martin joined the Chicago Sky on a developmental contract on September 2, 2026. — Specific date appears in source; no official team or league statement cited.
She was picked 18th overall by the Las Vegas Aces in the 2024 WNBA Draft. — Figure appears in source; no source given, but internally consistent with rest of the article.
With the Los Angeles Sparks she averaged 2.3 points in 7.1 minutes across 17 games. — Statistics appear in source without attribution to any statistical authority.
Iowa head coach Jan Jensen is Martin's aunt; her parents are Matt and Jill Martin. — Stated as fact in source with no attribution or quote.
Martin and Claire Gransee are no longer together, noted after social media references were removed in late 2025. — Attributed vaguely to 'fans noticed'; unconfirmed personal-life claim requiring editorial caution.

Written by AI from Times of India — Top · not yet reviewed by an editor · How we use AI · Report an error

Analysts’ view opinion

AI Sports Analyst

Kate Martin's story isn't about a talent gap — it's about how scarce WNBA roster spots are. Drafted 18th overall in 2024, she has already passed through four franchises in barely two seasons; averaging 2.3 points in 7.1 minutes with the Sparks simply never gave her time to find a rhythm. A developmental deal with the Chicago Sky and five points plus an assist on debut against the Toronto Tempo suggest she can still make minutes count.

Second-round picks live on the margins of WNBA rosters, and Martin's path is a textbook case of that churn.
Just 7.1 minutes per game across 17 Sparks appearances means the 2.3-point average tells us little about her ceiling.
She has already gone from a developmental contract to a standard roster deal once, at the Sparks — evidence the same climb is possible in Chicago.
Five seasons and 163 games at Iowa, four of them as captain, give her the experience and leadership profile coaches lean on late in a season.
A developmental contract is by nature a short-term audition; converting it means producing on the floor, not on reputation.

What to watch — Watch whether the Sky expand her minutes over coming games and whether the developmental deal converts into a standard roster contract.

The story does not establish the length of the contract, her defined role in the Sky rotation, or how much one debut performance will shape her future there.

Deep dive

Research brief · 8 facts · 7 dates · exam-ready

The brief

Context

Kate Martin is an American professional basketball player from Moline, Illinois, who starred for the University of Iowa Hawkeyes alongside Caitlin Clark before entering the WNBA in 2024. Drafted 18th overall by the Las Vegas Aces, she has since moved through the Golden State Valkyries and Los Angeles Sparks. After being waived by Los Angeles, she signed a developmental contract with the Chicago Sky on September 2, 2026, and scored five points with one assist in her debut against the Toronto Tempo. The story tracks her journeywoman path through an expanding WNBA.

Key facts

Kate Martin joined the Chicago Sky on a developmental contract on September 2, 2026.
In her Sky debut, against the Toronto Tempo, Martin finished with five points and one assist.
She was selected by the Las Vegas Aces with the 18th overall pick in the second round of the 2024 WNBA Draft.
Martin spent five seasons with the Iowa Hawkeyes, playing 163 games and serving as team captain for four seasons.
She played alongside Caitlin Clark during Iowa's runs to the NCAA championship game in 2023 and 2024.
Martin joined the Golden State Valkyries for their inaugural 2025 season after being picked in the expansion draft.
With the Los Angeles Sparks in 2026 she averaged 2.3 points in 7.1 minutes per game across 17 appearances.
She became the first player in Sparks franchise history to move from a developmental contract to a standard roster deal.

Timeline

2023 and 2024Martin is part of Iowa Hawkeyes teams that reach the NCAA championship game, playing alongside Caitlin Clark.
2024 WNBA DraftLas Vegas Aces select Martin 18th overall in the second round; her parents Matt and Jill Martin celebrate the pick.
2024Martin and Claire Gransee publicly confirm their relationship.
2025 seasonMartin joins the Golden State Valkyries for their inaugural season after being selected in the expansion draft.
Late 2025Fans note Martin has removed references to Gransee from her social media; the pair are no longer together.
2026Martin joins the Los Angeles Sparks, becoming the first in franchise history to go from a developmental contract to a standard roster deal, before being waived.
September 2, 2026Martin signs a developmental contract with the Chicago Sky and later debuts against the Toronto Tempo.

Who has a stake

Kate Martin — Seeking to establish herself in the WNBA after moving between multiple teams; the Chicago deal is another chance at a roster spot.
Chicago Sky — Adds depth at guard on a low-risk developmental contract late in the season.
Los Angeles Sparks — Waived Martin after she became the first in franchise history to convert a developmental contract into a standard deal.
Golden State Valkyries — Used the expansion draft to build their inaugural 2025 roster, which included Martin.
Las Vegas Aces — Drafted Martin 18th overall in 2024, her entry point into the WNBA.
Jan Jensen, Iowa head coach — Martin's aunt and former coach, described as one of her biggest supporters.
Matt and Jill Martin — Her parents, who have supported her career and celebrated her 2024 draft selection.

Why it matters

Martin's path shows how fringe WNBA players survive on developmental contracts as the league expands with new franchises such as the Golden State Valkyries and Toronto Tempo. Her rise from a 18th-overall pick and four-time college captain to a much-travelled professional illustrates how narrow roster space is in women's basketball even for high-profile NCAA names.

UPSC angle

Prelims pointers

Kate Martin was drafted 18th overall (second round) by the Las Vegas Aces in the 2024 WNBA Draft.
Golden State Valkyries played their inaugural WNBA season in 2025; Martin joined via the expansion draft.
Toronto Tempo is the WNBA team against which Martin made her Chicago Sky debut.
Martin played 163 games in five seasons for the Iowa Hawkeyes and was captain for four seasons.
Iowa head coach Jan Jensen is Kate Martin's aunt and her former coach.
Martin was the first Los Angeles Sparks player to convert a developmental contract into a standard roster deal.

Mains framing

Kate Martin's four-team journey in under three WNBA seasons is a case study in the economics of women's professional sport: limited roster slots, short-term developmental contracts and rapid waivers mean even a decorated college captain who played in two NCAA title games must repeatedly prove her worth. Her averages with the Los Angeles Sparks — 2.3 points in 7.1 minutes across 17 appearances — reflect how little playing time marginal players get, while her distinction as the first Sparks player to upgrade from a developmental contract to a standard deal shows such contracts can be a genuine ladder rather than a dead end. Simultaneously, league expansion, visible in the Golden State Valkyries' inaugural 2025 season and the emergence of the Toronto Tempo, creates fresh openings through mechanisms like expansion drafts. The way forward for players like Martin lies in these widening opportunities, while for the sport it lies in converting expansion into more stable, longer-term contracts so that development pathways do not depend on season-to-season churn.

Key terms

Developmental contract: A short-term WNBA deal for a player outside the standard roster, which can be converted to a standard roster contract.
WNBA Draft: Annual selection process through which WNBA teams pick players; Martin went 18th overall in 2024.
Expansion draft: Draft allowing a new franchise to select players from existing teams; Martin joined the Golden State Valkyries this way for 2025.
Waived: Released from a team's roster, freeing the player to sign elsewhere, as happened to Martin with the Los Angeles Sparks.
Iowa Hawkeyes: University of Iowa's college team, where Martin played five seasons, 163 games, and captained for four.

Practice questions

Trace Kate Martin's professional career from the 2024 WNBA Draft to her September 2026 signing with the Chicago Sky. What does it reveal about roster security in the WNBA?
What is a developmental contract, and how does Martin's Los Angeles Sparks experience show its potential and its limits?
How do expansion drafts and new franchises such as the Golden State Valkyries and Toronto Tempo change opportunities for fringe professional basketball players?

Grounded only in the source report — figures and dates are the source's, not inferred.

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