Kate Martin's Unrivaled Contract Termination Could Signal the End of Her WNBA Career

Kate Martin's WNBA career looks as uncertain as ever after her Unrivaled contract termination.

Kate Martin 20 of the Chicago Sky brings the ball up the court during a WNBA game. | IMAGO/ISI Photos

On Wednesday, news broke that Kate Martin and Unrivaled agreed to a mutual contract termination.

“While I’m excited about what’s on the horizon for me, I’m so thankful for the people, the competition, and the memories I’ve made in Unrivaled," Martin was quoted as saying in a statement provided by Unrivaled.

Martin signed a multi-year contract extension with Unrivaled back in August (shortly before she was waived by the Los Angeles Sparks), and the three-on-three league has previously announced that she would be competing in their 2027.

The 26-year-old former Iowa Hawkeyes star had taken part in Unrivaled's first two seasons, playing for Laces BC in 2025 and Rose BC in 2026. She scored 8.7 points per game in 2025 and six points per game in 2026.

Phantom BC guard TIFFANY HAYES (31) and Breeze BC guard KATE MARTIN (20) compete during an Unrivaled game. | IMAGO/ZUMA Press Wire

Kate Martin's WNBA Future Looks Murkier After Unrivaled Contract Termination

The fact that Martin said she's "excited about what’s on the horizon for me" is interesting, especially given that her professional basketball career seems to be in an uncertain spot, to say the least.

In fact, it's fair to wonder whether what is on the horizon for her has to do with professional basketball at all.

Martin spent time with the Golden State Valkyries, the Los Angeles Sparks, and the Chicago Sky during the 2026 season. While every coaching staff had nothing but good things to say about her, Martin's inability to stick with a franchise or make a strong enough impact on the court to sustain a role for herself does not bode well for her chances of remaining in the WNBA.

Martin isn't getting any younger, and each new season brings in a new crop of rookies that teams will want to give an opportunity to. These same teams already know what they can get with Martin, and that clearly wasn't enough to keep her rostered for an entire season.

And while it isn't clear why Martin and Unrivaled agreed to mutually part ways, the bottom line is that it's not a good sign about where her professional basketball career is headed.

Perhaps Martin decided she would do better playing overseas, which has helped other players develop and return to the WNBA better than ever (such as Martin's Sky teammate, Sydney Taylor). Perhaps Martin is done playing basketball at the highest level and is looking to transition to another career path.

It's safe to assume that Martin will make an announcement about what's next for her in the near future. In the meantime, fans might have to reckon with the fact that Martin may not have only played her last game in the WNBA, but also played her last professional basketball game.