Former Arizona standout Esmery Martínez left her native Dominican Republic to pursue her basketball career when she was still in high school. Her pro career has taken her to France for the last two years, and now she is on her way to İzmit, Kocaeli in Türkiye.
Martínez signed with Kocaeli Kadın Basketbol Spor Kulübü. The team announced the acquisition on Wednesday morning.
Martínez was drafted by the WNBA’s New York Liberty
after her final year of college. She has been in camp with the team the past two years but has not made the regular season roster. She has been playing for Flammes Carolo Basket Ardennes in France’s top women’s division.
Kocaeli Kadın Basketbol Spor Kulübü is sometimes referred to as Danilos Pizza Kocaeli after its sponsor. The team plays in KBSL Women, the top division in Turkish women’s basketball. The league features three of the top 10 teams in Europe, as ranked by Sports I.T. Solutions. That includes No. 1 Fenerbahçe, which won EuroLeague last season.
Kocaeli went 7-15 in domestic competition last season. The team starts playing on Oct. 3 with a contest against
Martínez accounted for 8.2 points on 45.7 percent shooting in France last year. She hit 33.3 percent of her 3-point shots and 76.9 percent of her free throws. She also contributed 6.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.9 steals per game in 2024-25.
Martínez spent three years at West Virginia before transferring to Arizona. In her two years as a Wildcat, she appeared in 65 games with 64 starts. She averaged 10.8 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.8 steals, and 0.5 blocks in 26.7 minutes per game.
