The Golden State Valkyries made the shocking decision to cut guard Kate Martin, a fan favorite and one of the highest-selling jerseys in the WNBA last year, ahead of the season.
Martin has since signed a developmental contract with the Los Angeles Sparks, where she plans on growing as both a player and a professional. On Sunday, a visibly emotional Martin spoke with reporters about the experience of being let go by Golden State, while apologizing for wearing her emotions on her sleeve.
“It was not easy at all. Yeah. Sorry. Um, it happened on Wednesday and like, obviously it’s a business decision,” Martin said of being cut. “That’s what professional sports is. It’s a business. And, um, you know, I just had to do what was best for me and my career.
“And, uh, sorry about that, by the way. Um, and so that was, I just felt this was the best decision for me and I’m very, very excited to be here, 1000%. And, um, yeah, I’m definitely gonna give it my all, but yeah, that process wasn’t easy. And now I feel like I can relate to a lot more people on, you know, a level that maybe I never wanted to be able to relate on, but it’s only going to help me as a leader and as a person going forward.”
Kate Martin overcome with some emotion as she talked about her journey from unfortunately getting cut by #Valkryies to now getting an opportunity to play w/ #LASparks in a week. pic.twitter.com/oqpoEJ2rnH
— Nick Hamilton (@NickHamilton213) May 10, 2026
A consummate professional
Martin’s first head coach in the WNBA, Las Vegas Aces leader Becky Hammon, was asked about the situation on Saturday and had nothing but great things to say about Martin.
“Kate’s great. She’s great in the locker room, great teammate, you know, super hard worker, very— you know, she’s somebody who came in with pro habits, and a lot of times from college that’s hard to do,” Hammon said, via Sparks reporter Nick Hamilton.
Once Martin gets comfortable and finds her footing in Los Angeles, expect her to emerge from this adversity as an even better player and leader.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.