SAN FRANCISCO \u2014 Golden State Valkyries guard Kate Martin, cutting toward the left sideline, stepped perfectly into the catch-and-shoot 3-pointer.<\/p>\n
However, New York Liberty guard Marine Johann\u00e8s understood the assignment. Martin was hot Wednesday night, Golden State was down four, and only a handful of seconds remained, so Johann\u00e8s smothered the look.<\/p>\n
Martin pumpfaked, took one dribble to the right and launched a fadeaway shot. It didn\u2019t matter that Johann\u00e8s was still there, hands up in Martin\u2019s face. What mattered to the Golden State guard was that her team needed a bucket, and she was the one to get it.<\/p>\n
And when she drilled it, cutting New York\u2019s lead to a point with 11.4 seconds remaining, Martin did more than keep alive the Valkyries\u2019 pursuit of victory, more than provoke a higher octave from Chase Center\u2019s roar. She authored a moment. Her moment. One that could reverberate into the remaining season.<\/p>\n
MONEY. #VotetheValks<\/a> \u2192 https:\/\/t.co\/WZuW5XvBec<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/vrIZ5Rzd9a<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Golden State Valkyries (@valkyries) June 26, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cIt just feels good to knock down shots,\u201d Martin said.<\/p>\n She was 0 of 8 from the field in her last outing, on Sunday against Connecticut, which thwarted the momentum she gained in last week\u2019s 4-of-7 showing against Indiana. She missed her first four 3s against the Liberty.<\/p>\n However, she found her stroke in the fourth quarter. She worked herself into a rhythm. Her will carried her through.<\/p>\n Buried inside Martin, beneath the smile and the unassuming visage, behind the eyes that can look a bit overwhelmed at times, is a fire-breathing competitor. A confident, dynamic player who loves the moment.<\/p>\n The trick has been getting that out of Martin. Coaxing her edge consistently to the surface. Because when it\u2019s out, when her fire governs her game, she can be a problem for the opponent.<\/p>\n And, for whatever reason, the chance to upset the defending champion Liberty? Bay Area hero Sabrina Ionescu in town? The best version of Martin was unleashed in Ballhalla on Wednesday night. New York was almost burned.<\/p>\n The Liberty (11-3) escaped Chase Center with an 81-78 win over the Valkyries. However, Martin ensured the East\u2019s best team had to dig deep to secure it with an explosive fourth quarter. She set five career-highs: shots made (7) and attempted (15), 3-pointers made (4) and attempted (10), all for a personal-best 21 points \u2014 her first 20-point night in 47 games as a pro.<\/p>\n A refreshing level of assertiveness from coach Natalie Nakase\u2019s perspective.<\/p>\n \u201cOf course,\u201d she said, \u201cwe want her to stay aggressive.\u201d<\/p>\n The Valkyries (7-7), still in sixth place in the league despite the loss, got their latest glimmer of hope from Martin. Their original pick in the expansion draft, expected to bring some juice to a franchise without an A-1 star, Martin felt the rigors of an expansion team. Golden State\u2019s developing roster and fluctuating rotations make it hard for a reserve to establish a rhythm. Martin, in her second season out of Iowa, has gotten lost at times amid Nakase\u2019s searching.<\/p>\n In Martin\u2019s 13 games this season, she has played under 15 minutes in five and over 20 minutes in just four. She\u2019s taken three shots or fewer six times, while Wednesday was her second game with at least 10 attempts.<\/p>\n If Wednesday\u2019s career performance was a launching point for Martin, if she\u2019s found enough liberty to play with the aggressiveness they want, then Wednesday night\u2019s loss bodes as well as a win.<\/p>\n The scrappiness shaping the Valkyries\u2019 inaugural season, which has the expansion club thinking about the playoffs, embodies Martin\u2019s performance.<\/p>\n She played through rough patches and wasn\u2019t thwarted by missed looks. And she took advantage of isolation opportunities. She was 3 of 5 in the paint, driving at the Liberty defense. Her runner over Ionescu with the foul put Golden State up 55-50 with under six minutes left in the third quarter.<\/p>\n roll the clip. @kate_martin22<\/a> with a STRONG finish. #VotetheValks<\/a> \u2192 https:\/\/t.co\/WZuW5XvBec<\/a> https:\/\/t.co\/tJGKOu90JC<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/wZey6l2l0t<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Golden State Valkyries (@valkyries) June 26, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n The Valkyries were down four midway through the fourth when Martin got a wide-open look from the right corner off an offensive rebound by Veronica Burton. However, Martin, who\u2019d already missed three attempts in the quarter, including two air balls, whiffed again.<\/p>\n Two possessions later, a drive by Kayla Thornton got Martin another open look from the same corner. She didn\u2019t shy away and didn\u2019t pump-fake and drive. The created shots must be taken. This time, Martin buried it.<\/p>\n The next time down, Burton swung the extra pass to Martin on the left wing for another open look. She knocked it down, trying the game at 72 with just over 4:30 left.<\/p>\n GOLDEN KATE MARTIN. Back to back BIG triples!#VotetheValks<\/a> \u2192 https:\/\/t.co\/WZuW5XvBec<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/5qH1rjPl4B<\/a><\/p>\n