Kate Martin Reacts to Big Unrivaled Announcement
2025 All-Star Weekend was a massive event for the growing WNBA, as the best athletes in women’s basketball convened for a night of both broken records and controversy–bringing more eyes to the league.
As Team Collier and Team Clark took the court for a high-scoring All-Star game featuring a 4-point shot, players made headlines wearing shirts reading “Pay Us What You Owe Us", in reference to players' ongoing fight for higher salaries.
However, another growing basketball league took the stage during All-Star weekend with its own showcase. Founded by multi-time All-Stars Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart, Unrivaled made a big announcement at All-Star weekend with the help of second-year Golden State Valkyries guard Kate Martin.
Unrivaled announced Monday that it has signed 14 women’s college basketball stars to Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals. Some of the biggest names include Naismith Player of the Year Juju Watkins, All-American and 2023 NCAA champion Flau’jae Johnson, and 2025 NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player Azzi Fudd.
During the weekend, Martin appeared at Unrivaled’s pop-up headquarters, interacting with fans and fellow Unrivaled teammates. In an Instagram post on Saturday, Unrivaled revealed Johnson and Fudd as two of the league’s newest signees ahead of Monday’s full announcement.
Martin was featured in the video, reacting to the news.
In her first season with Unrivaled, Martin played for the Laces franchises. She averaged 8.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game. Unrivaled is a 3-on-3 league that competes solely during the WNBA offseason.
Fudd, present for All-Star weekend, caused major buzz on social media for her relationship with former UConn teammate and Dallas Wings rookie All-Star Paige Bueckers. Johnson performed at All-Star weekend, continuing her career as a rap artist alongside her basketball career.
Napheesa Collier selected multiple Unrivaled players amongst the pool of All-Stars to compete on her team for Saturday’s game. Despite some controversy over promotion of the league, Collier told reporters early in July that “The W’s success is Unrivaled’s success" and that the league works together with WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert, who has openly supported the endeavor.
Anwar Stetson is a Multimedia Sports Journalist from Los Angeles, California. He previously worked as a TV News Reporter for KRCR News Channel 7 in Chico, California--covering politics, local news, wildfires, crime, and high school football. As an Assistant Editor for Spectrum Sportsnet: Los Angeles, Anwar worked on award-winning programs Backstage:Lakers and Backstage:Dodgers, giving viewers a behind-the-scenes look at the two franchises' most prominent athletes. Anwar is a graduate of the University of Southern California, where he received his Master's Degree in Specialized Journalism (Sports Emphasis) in 2019. He graduated from the University of California, Merced with a B.A. in English in 2016. In addition to Sports Illustrated, Anwar covers high school sports for Prep Network, and the WNBA for The Sporting Tribune.