Kate Martin has been one of the best stories in the WNBA this season, but she finished Tuesday’s game against the Las Vegas Aces in obvious pain.
The Iowa rookie fell hard in the first quarter against the Chicago Sky, Falling awkwardly after making contact with defender Dana EvansMartin’s teammates were so concerned that they immediately surrounded her, with some players even going so far as to use towels to hide her from the cameras.
Martin left the court and was later ruled out for the remainder of the game due to a lower right leg injury. The good news is that Martin looked much better when she entered the court before the start of the second half, wearing a T-shirt and sweatpants.
He still appeared to be limping a bit, but he was walking under his own power. He received a warm ovation from the fans at Michelob ULTRA Arena.
Martin’s injury came as the Sky were stunning the Aces in a first quarter that ended with Chicago leading 25-12. Las Vegas closed the gap in the fourth quarter, but one more run by the Sky ended up snapping the Aces’ four-game winning streak, as they won 93-85.
Chennedy Carter led all scorers with a season-high 34 points for the Sky, while Aces star A’ja Wilson had another monster game with 28 points, 14 rebounds, five blocks and three steals.
Martin entered Tuesday’s game averaging just 3.6 points and 2.0 rebounds in 14.3 minutes per game for the defending champions, but her unusual story and adaptation to the Aces’ locker room immediately made her a fan favorite in Las Vegas. While most second-round draft picks don’t even make their teams’ rosters, Martin earned a spot in a good team’s rotation.
Hopefully, he won’t have to miss too much time in the future.