The decision of the Golden State Valkyries to waive Kate Martin has generated plenty of online buzz, as fans have offered different takes on the fate of this fan favorite. When the Valkyries made their season debut, though, it was another up-and-coming guard who commanded the spotlight.
In the Valkyries’ 91-80 victory over the Seattle Storm, Kaitlyn Chen posted a new career-high of 14 points on 5-for-10 shooting from the field (and a 2-for-3 shooting clip from outside). Impressively, Chen managed this on just 16 minutes of action as a reserve player.
It was only a matter of time before the Kaitlyn Chen praise led to mentions of Kate Martin on social media.
“Kate Martin Stans owe her an apology”
“I’m a fan and knew Chen would make the roster. It was likely between Kaye and Amihere and after they found out Rupert was out, they needed another big.”
“Kaitlyn Chen giving Valkyries what Kate Martin did last season”
“‘They kept Chen over Kate Martin'”
“Kate too much of a streaky shooter for me but she’ll bounce back eventually. The Valks needed a backup pg and Chen fit the bill. We’ll see where she lands”
“This can’t be the Kaitlyn Chen y’all said the Valkyries should not have kept over Kate Martin”
Though Martin has drawn a huge fanbase with her hustle on the floor (a trait that she has showcased since her college stint at Iowa), the next chapter of her WNBA career remains largely undefined following her release from the Valkyries.
“It Was Obviously Very Hard”: Valkyries HC Comments on Kate Martin Getting Waived After One Season
On the part of Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase, letting go of Kate Martin was apparently not an easy decision. As per a tweet by Valkyries beat reporter Kenzo Fukuda, Nakase expressed regret over the departure of Martin from the Bay Area.
“The special thing about Kate is, when you have a conversation with her, she makes you feel like you’re the most important person that’s in the room. And so with that said, it was obviously very hard.”
It will be interesting to see how Martin will bounce back from this latest plot twist in her basketball career.