Caitlin Clark and Kate Martin spent four years playing basketball together at Iowa. The pair forged a bond as they took the Hawkeyes to back-to-back national championship appearances.
While the duo may no longer be teammates, their friendship is as strong as ever as they both find their foothold in the WNBA.
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 WNBA Draft, Clark was expected to be a star. Despite some early struggles, the Fever guard already is improving her game and looks like a true triple-double threat with Steph Curry-esque range.
Martin's WNBA chances weren't as rosy as Clark's, but the second-round pick found a way onto the Aces' roster and has made an impact as a solid role player. Her WNBA success story added another layer to her already strong relationship with Clark. Here's how.
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Caitlin Clark and Kate Martin friendship, explained
Clark and Martin were already close when they entered the WNBA. Now they are even closer as they navigate the leap to the professional ranks together.
Clark was asked about her connection to Martin ahead of Indiana's game in Las Vegas at 9:30 p.m. ET Tuesday. The 22-year-old explained that she still texts Martin "every single day" and that the two have shared advice about how to make it in the WNBA.
"I think just being there for one another and just be a listening ear," Clark said of what Martin provides to her in their conversations. "It's not like we're coaching one another. It's just more like, obviously she's one of my best friends and like she said, there's not a lot of people that really get it that we are friends with."
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Martin echoed Clark when asked about their friendship at the WNBA level. Notably, she mentioned Clark is a great hype woman whose pep talks tend to perk her up.
"I’ve had my down moments and she’s hyped me up, just like she did at Iowa," Martin told USA TODAY's Lindsay Schnell. "I’ve never been in Caitlin’s shoes and I never will be, she’s on a completely different stage than me, but as much as I can be a listening ear and encourage her back, I try to do that."
Of course, the two discuss more than just basketball. The duo rely on each other for fashion advice, especially as the WNBA social media accounts have increasingly attuned to players' pregame outfits.
"We always send each other photos like, ‘Wait, do you like this outfit?’ " Martin told USA TODAY with a laugh. "That’s a fun little piece about the WNBA. We were both nervous (at the beginning of the season) like, ‘What are we going to wear? We always just wear sweatpants!’"
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Their fashion tips appear to be working well. Both rookies have gotten positive reviews from WNBA fans for their pregame appearances.
So too have their respective performances as rookies. Both continue to play well, and their close friendship deserves some credit for helping them to avoid some of the growing pains that typically come during one's rookie season.
