Tonight is Las Vegas Aces rookie guard Kate Martin’s 24th birthday, which she’ll celebrate by taking on the Dallas Wings.
Martin’s best friend and former Iowa teammate Caitlin Clark shared a heartfelt birthday message for her on her Instagram story Wednesday afternoon.
“Happy birthday to my right hand!!! I miss you and love you endlessly,” Clark wrote, adding for Martin to “go crazy tonight” at the bottom.
The picture Clark chose was of the two embracing after winning the Big Ten title.
Instagram/@CaitlinClark22© Instagram/@CaitlinClark22
Martin, who was drafted in the second round by the Aces in April, has been a revelation so far as a rookie. She’s earned love from the fan base and the respect of her teammates and coaches, even if they’re not beyond playing harmless pranks on her.
In five regular season games, Martin is averaging 21.0 minutes per game off the bench and is averaging 5.2 points and 4.0 rebounds per appearance while shooting 35.3% from three-point range.
Martin’s best performance thus far was a 12-point, seven-rebound outing in the Aces’ 99-80 win over Clark and the Indiana Fever on May 25.
“It was weird. I’m not gonna lie,” Martin said of facing Clark. “Just looking out on the court and seeing her in a different jersey than me, it was obviously different. But it was really fun. We’re both living out our dream right now, and we both get to compete at the highest level. We’re both really grateful for that opportunity.”
