Iowa basketball player Kate Martin was selected by the defending WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces during Monday’s draft in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Martin was picked sixth in the second round, 18th overall. She was not widely expected to be drafted but attended to event to support teammate Caitlin Clark, who was chosen by Indiana with the No. 1 overall pick. As it turned out, Martin had something to celebrate, too.
The Edwardsville, Ill., native was among several Hawkeye women’s players who built fan bases of her own during Iowa’s remarkable two-year run that included a pair of trips to the national championship game. Clark was the worldwide star, but Martin and other Hawkeye teammates essentially became sports celebrities in their own right.
Here’s a look at how social media reacted to Martin being selected in the WNBA Draft on Monday: