WNBA teams finalized and submitted their rosters on May 7. Each team was required to reduce its roster to 12 players, with an exception for developmental players. These cuts left WNBA stars and fan favorites without a place to go.
One of those was Kate Martin, a longtime fan favorite since her days at the University of Iowa, where she was team captain and played alongside 2024 No. 1 overall WNBA draft pick Caitlin Clark.
Martin helped Golden State reach a regular-season record of 23-21 in its inaugural season. She averaged 6.2 points per game and had one of the team’s highest-selling jerseys, alongside teammate Kaitlyn Chen. The team had waived and re-signed during the 2025 season.
The Valkyries announced the waiving of Martin on their social media accounts on May 7, just a few hours shy of the roster deadline. The announcement sent shockwaves through the WNBA fanbase.
The team made this decision as Martin recovered from a Grade 2 quad strain, which had already left her with little chance to practice with the team before the Valkyries waived her.
Fans expressed concern for the player over the team’s last-minute decision, depriving Martin of time to sign with another team as they finalized their rosters.
Waived Chicago Sky guard Hailey Van Lith had better luck than Martin did, signing with the Connecticut Sun and making the final roster shortly after. However, as of May 28, the Sun released her upon activating Leïla Lacan.
Valkyries’ Social Media Backlash
Backlash flooded the Valkyries’ comment sections for this short-notice decision. Notably, fans discussed the team’s use of Martin in promotional content on the team’s social media accounts, only for the team to cut her from the final roster.
“This is not what the fans want to see,” an Instagram user commented.
Some even expressed frustration about buying season tickets and a jersey just to see Martin play, only to have her cut from the final roster. According to Yahoo Sports, Martin’s Valkyries jersey was the third-best-selling jersey in the league last season.
Similarly, the Valkyries had waived Kaitlyn Chen during the 2025 preseason as teams finalized rosters, sparking a reaction similar to Martin’s.
Golden State Head Coach Natalie Nakase spoke on the decision to waive Martin after receiving backlash from fans, per an X post from Nathan Canilao.
“It was very emotional, a lot of heartache,” said Nakase. “Kate was our family member and someone we cared about deeply. And we still do care deeply about Kate. It’s very hard because we are trying to construct the best team.”
What Happened Next for Kate Martin?
Luckily for Martin, however, the Los Angeles Sparks found a place for her. On May 10, Los Angeles announced that Martin would join the team on a developmental player contract, giving her another chance to play this season.
Under this developmental contract, Martin will be eligible to participate on the active roster for 12 games, travel with the team, and receive a weekly stipend of $750, in addition to a prorated minimum salary of $6,000.
Fans were instantly thrilled to hear this news. Many expressed plans to switch their team loyalty from Golden State to Los Angeles, raising the question of just how much this decision will affect numbers for both teams.
Social media engagement for the Sparks instantly rose. The Instagram post announcing Martin’s signing to the team alone has 122,000 likes. This is a stark difference from other posts from the Sparks. They usually get anywhere from hundreds to a few thousand likes.
Golden State’s social media numbers have changed as well. Before they announced that Kate Martin had been waived from the team, their Instagram posts were averaging likes in the high thousands, closer to 10k. After Martin’s waiving, their content likes range in the low thousands, with some even dipping into the hundreds.
Martin’s Los Angeles coaches and teammates welcomed her graciously. She has already played four out of the 12 allotted games and is averaging 7.8 minutes and 2.6 points per game.
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