Kelsey Plum Hints at Kate Martin's Sparks Future
Los Angeles Sparks star Kelsey Plum seems keen for her teammate Kate Martin to remain with the team for longer than her current development contract, which Plum conveyed after the Sparks' June 7 win against the Portland Fire.
"Love Kate Martin. Kate Martin for president!" Plum said as soon as Martin's name was mentioned, per an X post from John W. Davis.
She was then asked about Martin still being on a development contract and said, "Yeah, hopefully not for long. You see her impact every time she goes in the game. Her energy, she makes shots, she's super active, and we need more of Kate Martin."
Plum was then asked about whether she thinks about how Martin has already used up over half of the 12 games she's allotted under her contract, which means the Sparks will have to either sign her to an end-of-season contract or release her once those games are up, and said, "Yeah, that's not my job. You know, my job is whoever's on the roster that day, just put them in positions to be successful.
"I obviously have experience playing with Kate, and one of the things I love about Kate [is that] she's always in the right spot. And so that's why you see a lot of us connect[ing] a lot of times. She's just, like, always in the right spot. So, looking forward to playing with Kate Martin a lot more this year," Plum added.
Los Angeles Sparks guard Kelsey Plum says she’s looking forward to playing with Kate Martin a lot more this season.
— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) June 8, 2026
She said Martin is always in the right spot.
Martin is currently on a developmental contract but Plum says hopefully not for much longer. pic.twitter.com/zY2oRYMvvG
Sparks Keeping Kate Martin Around Makes Too Much Sense
The Golden State Valkyries' decision to waive Martin a few days before the 2026 WNBA regular season began raised some eyebrows, given that Martin is such a versatile player and performed well in Golden State in 2025.
But the Sparks quickly capitalized on their California rivals' move and signed Martin to a player development contract a few days later. And Martin has proven to be a big pickup for them, playing valuable minutes off the bench that have included timely shooting and solid defense.
Since Martin has become a regular aspect of the Sparks' rotation, the team will need to decide what to do with her contract in the next few weeks. Players who are signed to development contracts can only be active for up to 12 games. At that point, they must either convert the player to a standard, rest-of-season contract or release them.
Given Martin's contributions in her short time in Los Angeles, it's hard to imagine they'd release her after these 12 games are up.
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Grant Young covers women’s basketball for Women’s Fastbreak and Indiana Fever On SI. His coverage centers on league trends and the growth of women’s basketball, both on and off the court. He also creates digital content focused on the sport’s biggest moments and personalities.
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