The Los Angeles Sparks parted ways with former Iowa guard Kate Martin in a flurry a moves on Saturday, Aug. 29, but she's not unemployed.
On the same day the Sparks announced they were waiving Martin, Unrivaled basketball league revealed that she'd re-signed to play 3-on-3 basketball this offseason.
Thank you, Kate Martin! pic.twitter.com/9tP61fUu1A
— Los Angeles Sparks (@LASparks) August 29, 2026
Kate Martin is Unrivaled 👑
— Unrivaled Basketball (@Unrivaledwbb) August 29, 2026
Kate returns for season three on a multi-year deal.
Presented by @Ally pic.twitter.com/0ED6c4Q1xq
Co-founded by WNBA stars Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart, Unrivaled began its second season in January with goals to become the "Champions League of women's basketball." The league announced a $650 million valuation on Monday, Aug. 26.
Martin was one of just four second-round
draft picks to make a WNBA roster in 2024. The ouster from the Sparks marks her second time being cut this year.
Martin was cut by the Golden State Valkyries at the start of this season after they picked her in the expansion draft from the Las Vegas Aces, which had selected her with the 18th pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft.
She'd played with the Valkyries for the entire 2025 campaign, averaging 6.2 points and 2.7 rebounds in 16.4 minutes per game.
The Sparks initially signed Martin to a developmental roster spot, which is similar to the NBA's two-way player. Developmental players are eligible to play in 12 regular-season games before they must be converted to a standard contract.
When the Sparks opened the 2026 season against the Aces in May, Martin told reporters that being cut by the Valkyries "was brutal" as she fought back tears.
Martin scored a sesaon-high 11 points for the Sparks in a loss the Toronto Tempo on May 17. On July 6, the Sparks made Martin the first player in franchise history to become upgraded from the development pool to a standard WNBA contract, with now-fired general manager Raegan Pebley lauding Martin's "versatility on both ends of the floor."
Martin's usage decreased significantly in July. Even after Sparks coach Lynne Roberts said in August that the team's ownership had "asked that bench players receive playing time rest of the season" with the Sparks having clinched a losing a record, Martin's play was still limited — a reality Roberts credited to the front office already having data on her while other players needed the time to prove themselves.
Martin ended up playing 17 games with the Sparks, averaging 2.3 points per game.
What other moves did the Sparks make?
The Sparks also claimed Aaliyah Nye off of waivers, signed Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda to a developmental deal, and waived Alissa Pili.
Nye was waived from her standard contract by the Atlanta Dream to make room for veteran center DeWanna Bonner. After winning a championship with the Aces, Nye was drafted by the Toronto Tempo in the expansion draft but was cut by the team before the season started.
The Sparks signed Pili and Martin to their developmental deals around the same time. Pili played in five games, averaging 2.0 points and 2.2 rebounds.
Mwenentanda went undrafted in April after playing for Texas and Vanderbilt during her collegiate career. She played five games this season for the Valkyries.
The Sparks (14-25) next play against the Seattle Storm on Sunday as the last five games in their regular-season schedule approach. They have already been eliminated from postseason contention.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kate Martin waived from WNBA, still set for competitive offseason league
