Las Vegas Aces Coach Praises One Aspect of Kate Martin’s WNBA Game

The Las Vegas Aces are on the verge of becoming one of the WNBA’s greatest dynasties.

If they were to win a third consecutive WNBA championship during the 2024 season, they would be just the second franchise in WNBA history to procure a three-peat.

While the Aces have an excellent roster, a large part of their success must be owed to their head coach, Becky Hammon.

Hammon has been fantastic for the Aces, and her direct yet positive coaching style has made her a fan favorite.

And during the Aces’ practice on Monday, prior to their Tuesday game against the Phoenix Mercury, Hammon called out WNBA rookie and Caitlin Clark’s former Iowa teammate, Kate Martin.

Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon gestures to players during the second quarter against the New York Liberty at Michelob Ultra Arena.

Per a Las Vegas Aces YouTube video, Martin was defending someone during the Aces practice with Hammon watching her intently.

“Good, that’s it. Good,” Hammon said to Martin.

“Hey, that’s a great job,” Hammon added, now addressing the entire team. “Kate jumped out, great. You give him one step here. Now it’s guarding space. You did your initial job, because you stopped that momentum from going North-South. Now it’s about guarding and keeping people in front.”

Martin has got to like earning her head coach’s praises.

Kate Martin’s Heartfelt Three-Word Response to Gabbie Marshall’s Personal Announcement

Throughout Caitlin Clark’s college tenure at the University of Iowa, her Hawkeyes teammates always seemed extremely tight-knit.

Clark has mentioned multiple times that Kate Martin and Gabbie Marshall are two of her best friends.

And while her and Martin are now playing in the WNBA, Marshall’s basketball career appears to be coming to a close.

Marshall alluded to this with an Instagram post she made on Sunday.

The heartfelt post shows Marshall on the court with both Martin and Clark, along with photos of her celebrating the many successes that Iowa had during her time there.

Along with the photos came a heartfelt post, reflecting on her basketball career.

Many of Marshall’s former Iowa teammates flooded her comments with messages. But Kate Martin kept hers the most concise.

Iowa’s Kate Martin waves to the crowd during a celebration of the Iowa women’s basketball team Wednesday, April 10, 2024 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa.

Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK

“Love you boozus,” Martin wrote along with a red heart emoji.

Clark also left a comment, saying, “I love you forever and always. My girl for life.”

While Marshall’s basketball career might now be behind her, it’s clear that the relationships she made at Iowa will likely last a lifetime.