When it comes to who should be voted in as Unrivaled's first-ever MVP, Kate Martin has a clear favorite: her Lace's BC teammate Kayla McBride.
The Laces launched their McBride campaign on Instagram on Thursday, March 6. The post features a a photo of McBride playing in the league along with several tweets and messages endorsing her as the candidate. "McBride for MVP…#NUFFSAID. Make sure to vote for Kayla McBride for Unrivaled’s MVP presented by @millerlite," the team wrote in the caption.
"My MVP," Martin wrote in the caption.
Why Kate Martin has been missing from Unrivaled
Martin herself hasn't been seen on the court at Unrivaled since before the league's 1v1 tournament in February. In fact, she's only played 6 games so far (and averaged 7.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.2 steals) — and a recent update indicates Martin might not return to the floor at all for the Laces.
WNBA reporter Meghan L. Hall offered several updates relating to Unrivaled on March 3. She noted that Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu will not play any more games due to "prior commitments," Naz Hillmon has joined the league on a player relief contract, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton will miss the rest of the season due to an injury — and she offered an update about Martin.
"Kate Martin and Kahleah Copper are not expected to be on the bench during upcoming games as they continue to rehab from injuries," Hall explained. "They are expected to return to towards the end of the season."
Kate Martin's Unrivaled injury
Unfortunately for Laces and Valkyries fans, other details about Martin's injury aren't available to the public. And though it's disappointing that fans in Miami might miss out on watching Martin in action, it's definitely a good thing that she's taking her injury and rehab seriously ahead of the 2025 WNBA season with Golden State.
Playing for the Valkyries will give Martin the opportunity to shine on the court in a way that she didn't always get while playing for a superstar team like the Aces. Back when she was drafted to the team in December, Martin told ESPN, "I'm really excited [to join the Valkyries]."
"This league is all about opportunity and you just need one shot. I'm very thankful for the Aces and everything I got to learn there, but I'm excited for this new team and to build something from the ground up."