Golden State Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase gave former player Kate Martin high praise for her energy and locker room presence.
The Valkyries visited the Los Angeles Sparks on their home floor at Crypto.com Arena on Sunday, and Golden State improved their head-to-head record against the Sparks to 2-0 after an 84-78 win.
During her post-game interview, Valkyries head coach Nakase was asked if she misses her Martin, who suited up for Golden State last season.
“Oh man, it's definitely a lot quieter without Kate,” Nakase admitted. “Kate had this infectious energy that she came in, always with high energy. And what Kate did was she always loved on her players, and she always made people feel better.”
Nakase also mentioned how vividly she remembers the moment she knew Martin was special when they first encountered each other.
“The one thing that I will always say the minute I met Kate, it was just me and her in the gym in Las Vegas, and I remember she had this maturity about her,” Nakase recalled.
In the current season, the former Iowa standout is averaging 2.4 points in 15 games.
Although Martin didn’t play a single minute in the game against Golden State, Nakase still believes that Martin is a big help in the locker room.
“She's a special human being, and you can tell LA has definitely been affected by her,” Nakase continued. “You could see the caring and the joking and the laughing. And that's what we miss. We miss that energy from Kate and all the love and care that she pours into her teammates.”
Up next for Golden State is the Chicago Sky, who they are set to host on Wednesday at Chase Center.
