Warm weather, beach days, and player-driven fun: Kate Martin reveals Unrivaled's unique appeal, tempting Caitlin Clark with lifestyle and elite hoops.
Kate Martin didn’t overcomplicate her sales pitch when asked how she might recruit Caitlin Clark to Unrivaled. She didn’t lead with branding, television exposure or competitive legacy. Instead, Martin went straight to the atmosphere — one that reflects how the player-driven league has positioned itself within women’s basketball.
The Golden State Valkyries guard, who has appeared in the first two Unrivaled seasons, addressed the topic during a recent Sports Illustrated interview. When the conversation turned to whether she had tried to entice Clark — her longtime Iowa teammate and close friend — Martin framed her pitch around lifestyle as much as basketball.
“I think my recruiting pitch would be, ‘Come be in the warm weather!’” Martin said. “Like, Miami, it’s lovely here. We can go to the beach on the off days, chill, and have fun with it, too.”
The comment captured a defining element of Unrivaled, which has sought to distinguish itself by blending elite competition with player autonomy and off-court balance. Based in South Florida, the league has leaned into flexibility, short seasons and player experience as part of its identity.
Martin, who has become one of Unrivaled’s most visible crossover figures from the WNBA, emphasized that the pitch goes beyond scenery.
“I think that’s what this league is all about,” she said. “It’s very serious, it’s player-driven. But it’s also a lot of fun.”
For Martin, the appeal is not hypothetical. After being selected by the Las Vegas Aces with the No. 18 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft — a moment she did not anticipate while attending largely to support Clark — she has quietly built a stable professional résumé. That includes two WNBA seasons, a role with Golden State following last winter’s expansion draft, and consistent involvement in Unrivaled.
Her connection to Clark gives her perspective that few others share. The two spent years together at Iowa, navigating pressure, attention and expectations as Clark’s profile exploded nationally. Martin has also played alongside A’ja Wilson, giving her insight into how the game’s biggest stars might translate to Unrivaled’s 3x3 format.
Earlier in the interview, Martin made clear she believes Clark would thrive in the league’s spacing-heavy environment.
“And then Caitlin, being able to spread the floor and probably be shooting it from half-court, honestly,” Martin said. “So it would probably be really fun to see.”
Still, Martin’s recruiting pitch was notable precisely because it avoided basketball specifics. Instead, it reflected how Unrivaled has marketed itself to players: competitive but not consuming, intense but intentionally different from the grind of a full WNBA season.
Whether Clark ultimately joins Unrivaled remains an open question, likely tied to long-term scheduling, workload and priorities beyond the 2026 WNBA season. But Martin’s remarks underscored a broader shift. For a growing number of players, the conversation is no longer just about where they can play — but how, when and under what conditions.
And in Martin’s view, sometimes the simplest pitch is the most honest one.