Caitlin Clark's 'Best Fran' Reunion With Kate Martin Warms Hearts Amid Fever-Sparks
There were several intriguing storylines to follow when the Indiana Fever faced the Los Angeles Sparks on Los Angeles on May 13.
One was that both of these teams were looking to win their first game of the 2026 WNBA regular season, as each started the year out 0-1. Ultimately, it was the Fever who emerged victorious, securing an 87-78 win.
Fever star guard Caitlin Clark (who finished the game with 24 points, 9 assists, and 4 rebounds in 31 minutes played) seems to have good relationships with several players on the Sparks' roster. However, there's nobody she's closer to than Kate Martin.
Clark and Martin became extremely close when they were playing at the University of Iowa together. And while they were drafted to different WNBA teams in 2024, it's clear that their relationship has remained intact.
Martin joined the Sparks earlier this week, just a few days after being waived by the Golden State Valkyries. This makes Los Angeles her third team, as the Las Vegas Aces initially took her in the 2024 WNBA Draft before the Valkyries selected Martin in their expansion draft later that year.
Caitlin Clark and Kate Martin Show Each Other Love After Fever vs. Sparks Game
Martin is on a development contract with Los Angeles and therefore didn't suit up for Wednesday's game. But that didn't mean she couldn't embrace Clark after the game ended, as the two came together moments after the final buzzer to hug and share a few words.
Caitlin Clark and Kate Martin reunited 🥹 pic.twitter.com/jsBPKpdEMe
— Clark Report (@CClarkReport) May 14, 2026
As if this moment wasn't wholesome enough, both Clark and Martin shared positive words about each other on social media after the game.
Clark reposted a video that the @wnba Instagram account posted of her and Martin hugging, and added the caption, "my best fran". She also posted a photo of herself and Martin posing together after the game with the caption, "🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤 @katemartin".
As for Martin, she reposted a video that the Sparks' account posted of herself and Clark hugging to her Instagram story Wednesday night and added the caption, "❤️❤️".
She also reposted the same photo as Clark and wrote, "Proud of this girl".
It's really wholesome to see that these two have remained best friends during their respective WNBA careers. Many had hoped that Martin would sign with the Fever after the Valkyries waived her, but she seems to have found a solid home in Los Angeles.
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Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.
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