WNBA Fans React to Kate Martin’s Appearance in New Valkyries Post
The Golden State Valkyries are preparing for their first game post-All-Star-break when they take on the struggling Dallas Wings Friday evening at Chase Center in San Francisco.
The Valkyries practiced at their performance center in downtown Oakland ahead of Friday’s matchup, as the team prepares to take on Dallas’ perimeter threats like Arike Ogunbowale, DiJonai Carrington, and rookie sensation Paige Bueckers.
Valkyries guard Kate Martin, a fan favorite, has transitioned into a role player for Golden State after her rookie season with the Las Vegas Aces. Martin built a nationwide fanbase playing alongside her close friend and teammate Caitlin Clark at Iowa. She currently has 471,000 followers on Instagram, over 200,000 more than the Valkyries franchise.
Fans reacted to a humorous post by the Valkyries Thursday night featuring Martin. A media official with the Valkyries surprised a handful of Golden State players by addressing them by their full names–middle names included. It was shared on X and Instagram.
In response to being called “Kate Marie Martin”, the second-year guard said “that’s my name, don’t wear it out,” before asking “how did you know that?”
The comedic exchange garnered positive reaction from Valkyries fans.
Admin can never let them know our next move... Pulled out the full governments post-practice today 😂@Sephora | Off the Court pic.twitter.com/GPviTemQza
— Golden State Valkyries (@valkyries) July 24, 2025
“Love for Kate Marie,” said one.
“Kate is a vibe," another stated.
"Kate *MONEY* Martin👏," wrote another.
"I love Kate Martin," one commented.
"KATE!!!!!!!" exclaimed another.
The Valkyries have sold out every home game this season, solidifying one of the best inaugural seasons in WNBA history. The fans at Chase Center have lit up the arena, known as “Ballhalla”, with continued support. The team will hope to return to form after a three game skid before the All-Star break.
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.