The WNBA opens its 2025 season on Friday, and all eyes will be on the league's top stars. Interest in the WNBA has surged recently, thanks in large part to the standout players now filling rosters across the league.

One of the brightest stars is Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark. Now in her second year, the former Iowa Hawkeye and All-American won Rookie of the Year last season and helped lead the Fever to the playoffs. She's aiming even higher in 2025.

While at Iowa, Clark formed a close friendship with Kate Martin. Martin also played in the WNBA last season with the Las Vegas Aces and was acquired by the Golden State Valkyries during the offseason. She's seen firsthand how the women's basketball world works and the unique pressures that come with it.

Recently, Kate Martin’s father, Matt Martin, joined Matt Randazzo for an interview in the Quad Cities. During the conversation, he spoke on several topics, including Caitlin Clark—and he didn’t hold back.

kate martin's father was interviewed recently & brought up the evolution of kate/caitlin's relationship while at iowa + sees the attention on caitlin being a positive thing as it shines a light on other players pic.twitter.com/qXgSOwR5fr

— a (@aclassyteaparty) May 11, 2025

"Kate Martin's father was interviewed recently and brought up the evolution of Kate and Caitlin's relationship while at Iowa. He sees the attention on Caitlin as a positive, since it brings visibility to other players.

Matt Martin called Clark “special” and recalled meeting her during her freshman year in Iowa City. He remembered telling the players, “If you guys can make this work, I really think you can compete for Big Ten championships or something.”

Clark and Martin went far beyond that. They helped lead Iowa to back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Tournament title game, a historic run that captivated the college basketball world.

Kate Martin earned the Big Ten Outstanding Sportsmanship Award in 2021 and was named Second Team All-Big Ten in her final season. She came to Iowa from Edwardsville, Illinois, where she scored 1,518 career points in high school.

In her fifth and final year at Iowa, Martin averaged 13.1 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. She was also voted "Women's Hawkeye of the Year" by fellow student-athletes at the university.

Related: Kate Martin Addresses WNBA Fans After Major Personal Announcement

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