Kate Martin, a former standout of Iowa’s women’s basketball team, continues to vie for a position on the Las Vegas Aces, the reigning champions of the WNBA. In the latest round of cuts by the organization on Monday, she narrowly avoided being among the three players let go.

With a series of cuts during training camp, the Aces have whittled their roster down to the league-maximum of 12 players. However, at the commencement of the 2024 season, the team only had 11 players on their roster, leaving Martin’s spot somewhat uncertain.

The Aces announced the initial departure of Bria Hartley, a nine-year veteran guard, on their social media platform in the morning. Hartley, a former first-round pick from UConn, had sporadic appearances in the league since 2020, playing in 13 games last season split between the Indiana Fever and Connecticut Sun. Angel Jackson, a rookie forward picked in the third round, was also waived.

Later in the day, the Aces announced the release of Kamaria McDaniel, a guard who hadn’t yet played in a WNBA game but had impressive stats in Turkey for Yalova VIP in the past season, leading the league in scoring, rebounds, and assists.

To fill the gaps, Las Vegas signed veteran guard Emma Cannon in the evening, who was previously cut by the Dallas Wings during their 2024 training camp.

Earlier on May 2, the Aces waived guard Morgan Jones and forward Brea Beal, the latter being a notable contributor to South Carolina’s 2022 national championship team and an AP All-American Honorable Mention in 2023.

Megan Gustafson, another former Hawkeye standout, remains on the roster after signing a two-year contract on February 1.

Kate Martin’s journey with the Aces started when she was drafted in the second round, 18th overall, on April 15, though her place on the team isn’t assured. In a league with just 12 teams and a maximum of 144 roster spots, securing a position in the WNBA is an arduous task. Out of the 36 players drafted in 2023, only 15 saw game time last season, and merely eight made it to the opening-day roster. Martin’s chances of making the cut for the back-to-back league champions were slim from the outset, but recent events have given her a glimmer of hope.

Her prospects received a boost when WNBA legend Candace Parker announced her retirement on April 28, and with the removal of four more players from contention, Martin’s chances of securing a spot in the upcoming days have improved.