SAN FRANCISCO, CA – AUGUST 06: Golden State Valkyries guard Kate Martin 20 warms up before a WNBA, Basketball Damen, USA game between the Golden State Valkyries and the Las Vegas Aces on August 6, 2025 at the Chase Center in San Francisco, CA. Photo by Matthew Huang/Icon Sportswire WNBA: AUG 06 Las Vegas Aces at Golden State Valkyries EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon250806026 ©IMAGO/Icon Sportswire Harshita Saxena Mon, November 2, 2026 at 1:08 AM UTC · 5 min read About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kate Martin's basketball journey has taken several unexpected turns this fall, and now, she has added another mystery to the mix. Her latest appearance on Iowa's social media has left fans wondering what comes next. For now, all they have is a promise of an announcement later this evening.
Three, two, one. A girl stands with her back to the camera, staring at a big screen as a video montage of Iowa greats plays. It ends with a simple line: "7pm tonight." Kate Martin shared that post from Iowa on her Instagram story , and fans have been guessing ever since.
The timing makes the teaser even more intriguing.
On Wednesday, she and Unrivaled agreed to end her contract, just two months after she signed a multi-year deal with the 3-on-3 league in August. Season three starts Jan. 8 in Boston, and the league has signed Isabelle Harrison and Kaitlyn Chen to one-year deals.
Kate Martin's cryptic hint has the WNBA community buzzing. Stay tuned to EssentiallySports for the full story and what it means for her future.
Unrivaled executive Clare Duwelius said the league will always celebrate Martin as one of its inaugural athletes. In her own statement, Martin said she is "excited about what's on the horizon for me."
Her WNBA future is just as unclear. Martin's one-year development contract with the Chicago Sky is ending, which makes her a free agent before 2027, and Chicago finished 16-28 and missed the playoffs.
BOSTON, MA – AUGUST 18: Kate Martin 21 of the Los Angeles Sparks warms up before the WNBA, Basketball Damen, USA game between the Los Angeles Sparks and the Connecticut Sun on August 18, 2026 at TD Garden in Boston, MA. Photo by Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire WNBA: AUG 18 Los Angeles Sparks at Connecticut Sun EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon26081880
She played 17 games for the Los Angeles Sparks and 2 for the Sky, logging fewer than 150 minutes all season. With the Sparks, she averaged 2.3 points in 7.1 minutes per game, the lowest numbers of her WNBA career.
The Golden State Valkyries had also waived her just days before the season began, and back in August she cheered her Unrivaled deal with a "Yayyy" on Instagram, only for the Sparks to waive her an hour later.
Analysts have taken notice. One wrote that her WNBA future looks murkier than ever and wondered whether what lies ahead has anything to do with pro basketball. Another said she still has options, from foreign leagues to the new UpShot League, which will expand to 8 teams in 2027.
That is why a teaser from Iowa, and not from a WNBA team, stands out. The post doesn't say what the announcement is, but its timing and source have fans hoping for a big move outside the WNBA.
Fans quickly started guessing in the comments, and several pointed to a return to Iowa.
"OMG- Kate coming home to coach? That would be so awesome!❤️" one fan wrote.
Martin grew up in Edwardsville, Illinois, but Iowa is where she built her name. She played five seasons there, scored 1,299 career points and was a team captain in 2020-21. In 2023-24, she averaged 13.1 points and earned second-team All-Big Ten honors. She also finished as just the third Hawkeye with 1,200 points, 700 rebounds and 450 assists, joining Caitlin Clark and Sam Logic.
"WHAT IS IT. TELL ME! 7 is too long to wait. Haha," a second fan wrote, and "Is this an announcement that she is gonna be an assistant coach?" another asked.
Martin has not said publicly what the reveal is, and the post gives nothing else away. She has not served as a formal team or college coach, but she has prepared for it. In February 2024, during her final season at Iowa, she was named to the 21st class of the WBCA's "So You Want To Be A Coach" program, which trains top college players for future coaching careers. She has also helped coach and support youth basketball camps and tournaments.
"IF KATE MONEY MARTIN IS COMING HOME I SWEAR TO GOD ????????????????????????" another posted.
The "Money" nickname came from Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon and was popularized by Kelsey Plum during Martin's rookie training camp in 2024. Plum has said it is not just about shooting or scoring. It covers her consistency, hustle and ability to make teammates better, the glue on the floor.
"I am coming out of my seat!!! Show me the ????! ❤️????????" wrote another.
Martin was the 18th pick in the 2024 WNBA draft, taken by the Las Vegas Aces, and she has been a fan favorite since. Her path has twisted from the Aces to the Valkyries in the expansion draft, then the Sparks and the Sky.
Whatever the news is, fans will find out at 7 p.m.
"Kicked Us Out of the Game": 2x Chiefs Super Bowl Champ Kadarius Toney Slams NCAA After Being Thrown Out With 1-Year-Old Son
Cameras Catch AAC Player Helped Off Field With Reported Broken Leg After Collision With Referee
"I've Had Players Call Me Out": FOX's Erin Andrews Admits Dak Prescott Has Called Her Out Over Sideline Outfit
College Football Rankings: Ohio State Severely Punished; Georgia Resurges, New No. 2 & More
Ohio State vs. USC: Players Involved in Pregame Fight, Fans Storm Field and Lincoln Riley's Heated Exchange With OSU Staff
The post Fans Eager for Answers After Kate Martin Teases Big Career Announcement Outside WNBA appeared first on EssentiallySports . Add EssentiallySports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Source: Sports
