Kate Martin, once a captain for the lowa Hawkeyes, has transitioned into the realm of professional basketball following her unexpected selection as the 18th pick in the WNBA Draft. This surprise came after her attendance at the draft ceremony to cheer on her friend, the first pick, Caitlin Clark.

The Las Vegas Aces, reigning champions, made the astute choice to draft her.

A recent Instagram post by the Aces showcased Martin executing a successful floater during practice. Jada Gyamfi, Martin’s former teammate, reshared the clip on her Instagram stories with her own caption:

“Quick release, beautiful form, that’s money baby,” Gyamfi wrote.

It was not the only time that Jada Gyamfi has shown her support for Kate Martin.

During a recent interview with the “Daily lowan” after the WNBA Draft, the Hawkeyes star who was one of the teammates at the draft ceremony, revealed how emotional she was when her former captain was drafted.

“I personally knew Kate was going to get drafted, but we were there as Caitlin’s friends, and then obviously, everybody knew she was going to go No. 1. So when that happened, it was no big surprise. But when Kate got drafted, I was literally sobbing,” Gyamfi said. “I was like, ‘This is so embarrassing.’ But it was amazing to see because she works really hard. There’s no one more deserving to get her name called.”

Kate Martin embarks on WNBA adventure

Kate Martin had a distinguished college basketball career with the lowa Hawkeyes captaining the team that contained superstar Caitlin Clark to two consecutive national championship games.

She finished her lowa career with 1299 points, 756 rebounds and 473 assists but she was still awed while training with her new team, the WNBA defending champions.

Martin recently revealed her admiration for her teammates and surroundings during an interview with “Fox 5.”

“It’s crazy because I’ve been looking up to these players for so long and to coach Hammon for so long. And so, to be alongside them right now, you know, it’s it’s a little surreal but um just how hard they go. They never take a rep off, and uh you know I want to keep that mentality and, you know, I just want to add to their success,” Martin said.

“I never want to take away. So, they’ve been super helpful with uh everything, you know, I’ve had a lot of questions and they’re answering and they’ve been super inviting with open arms. So, uh you know, I’m just trying to emulate everything that they do.”

Kate Martin will make her WNBA debut with the Las Vegas Aces when they host the Phoenix Mercury on May 14.