SAD NEWS: Caitlin Clark has decided to resign because of…

After making it beyond the team’s initial round of cuts on Thursday, Kate Martin, a former top player for Iowa women’s basketball, will continue to fight for a spot on the roster of the WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces.

The big Brea Beal, who was an honorable mention AP All-American in 2023 and a vital member of South Carolina’s national championship squad in 2022, and guard Morgan Jones were waived by the Aces.

Megan Gustafson, a former standout for the Hawkeyes, re-signed with the team on February 1st for a two-year term.

Excel Sports Management confirmed Martin’s signing on Thursday through their social media platforms as well. In October 2023, she visited her former colleague Caitlin Clark.

Martin was selected April 15, 18th overall, in the second round of the draft; however, a spot on the roster is not assured. The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) is perhaps the hardest professional sports league to get a franchise in, with only 12 teams and a maximum of 144 roster spots available.

During training camp, teams are allowed to have up to 18 players; but, on May 13, the day before the season begins, they must reduce that number to only 12. The Aces presently have 14 players.

Merely 15 out of the 36 players selected in the 2023 draft participated in games the year prior, and only 8 of them were consistent starters. Martin already had a slim chance of qualifying for the

Martin’s aspirations were further enhanced on April 28 when WNBA icon and eventual Basketball Hall of Famer Candace Parker announced her retirement. In the upcoming days, the former Hawkeye may be able to lock down a slot with the withdrawal of two more players.