Just when things were beginning to get serious for the Golden State Valkyries, the latest update about Kate Martin made the path ahead of them quite foggy.

Winning over the Seattle Storm by 78-76 this April 25, it looked like the Valkyries were in for a solid run. But it only took less than 3 days for the team to disclose the bad news, which senior Staff writer, Sara Jane, took to X.

“Per release from Golden State,” Jane's April 29 post read. “Kate Martin has been diagnosed with a grade two right quad strain. Martin will be reevaluated in one week.”

After scoring 8 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists against Seattle, the Valkyries Guard came down with a quad soreness in Monday’s practice. Missing practice on Tuesday, the team ultimately announced the update.

Given that a grade 2 quad strain is a 2–6-week injury, Martin will most certainly miss a significant amount of the season opener and more. But since the team doesn’t have any more preseason games, Martin could use the time to recover.

As of now, coach Natalie Nakase hasn’t been able to give any timeline for Martin’s return. However, she did have one positive update.

Natalie Nakase on Kate Martin’s Injury

While Martin’s return is unforeseeable currently, the 25-year-old Valkyries star was present on the sidelines. As she oversaw her team practising, Coach Nakase shared some insights on Martin’s health.

“Kate knows no matter if you feel a little soreness or you’re banged up, you’re still here,” Nakase said. “I told her to make sure that she is going to be the energy monitor. Today, she was on top of it because she brings so much energy.”

“So, without Kate in practice, she just made sure she was on the sidelines, underneath every huddle and just constantly cheering on her teammates,” she added. “Kate knows the job, and she’s amazing.” 

While there’s no official update available on her return, when do you think Martin can make it back to the hardwood? Comment it down.

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Written by

Deblina Roy

Edited by

Souvik Roy