Caitlin Clark is one of the biggest names in women’s sports. But before she became a national sensation, Kate Martin had already heard about her dominance at the high school level in Iowa. Once Martin arrived on campus at the University of Iowa, she finally saw Clark up close.
In a recent interview, Martin said she was initially skeptical of the hype surrounding Clark — but it didn’t take long for her to become a true believer.
Kate Martin Opens Up About Former Iowa Teammate Caitlin Clark
Martin sat down with WNBA legend Sue Bird on her podcast “Bird’s Eye View” to discuss her career at Iowa, lessons from her rookie season with the Las Vegas Aces, and what she’s bringing to the Valkyries for their inaugural season.
When asked about Clark, Martin recalled, “I had heard about her… I was like, ‘Oh, this girl thinks she’s gonna come here and rule the world.’ And then she did — came right in and ruled the world. I was like, ‘Alright, here we go.’”
GREAT CLIP
Kate Martin talks about the first time she heard they recruited Caitlin Clark.
“This girl thinks she’s gonna come in here and rule the world.”
“Then she came in and ruled the world.”
Full Video Here: https://t.co/XvBKDWQfQL pic.twitter.com/nGshhOdq0j
— Ken Swift (@kenswift) June 6, 2025
Martin added, “I just remember we had that summer before and she was doing things that I had never seen anybody do before,” Martin added. “As a freshman, to come in and have that kind of confidence, not everybody has that. I haven’t really seen anything like this. We knew she was gonna be outstanding.”
Martin was right. Clark had an exceptional collegiate career was the all-time leading scorer in NCAA Division I history — men or women — with 3,951 points. She also holds the women’s single-season scoring record (1,234 points) and has more career points in the NCAA Tournament (392) than any other woman.
Clark is one of just 10 women to win multiple Naismith Player of the Year awards.
She carried her remarkable college success into the WNBA, where she was selected No. 1 overall in the 2024 draft. She quickly made an impact, winning Rookie of the Year honors and breaking numerous records in her debut season.
The Fever guard had high hopes heading into her sophomore campaign, but those plans were temporarily put on hold due to a quad injury that has sidelined her for several weeks.
However, with reports indicating she may be nearing a return, the Fever star could soon be back on the court — ready to continue proving people either wrong or right, depending on which side of the Caitlin Clark debate you’re on.
