Why is Kate Martin not playing against Rose BC? Laces star’s absence from Unrivaled semifinals explored (March 16)

Exploring Kate Martin’s absence from semifinal game against Rose BC [Picture Credit: Getty]

Kate Martin will miss Unrivaled’s semifinal game against Rose BC on Saturday, March 15. Laces BC is the third-ranked team in Unrivaled, behind Rose BC. However, the semifinal will see several key players missing from the action.

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In a post on X, (formerly Twitter), USA Today’s Meghan Hall reported that Martin would be out due to a left leg injury.

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Martin had started her Unrivaled season strong but suffered a leg injury in February. Hall previously reported that Martin was not expected to return for the rest of the season. She exited the Unrivaled season after just six games, averaging 7.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 11 minutes per contest

Rose BC will also be missing two of its key players. Angel Reese is reportedly out with a hand injury, and Kahleah Copper is sidelined with a right leg injury. Additionally, Laces BC star Jackie Young is listed as questionable due to illness.

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Martin had started her Unrivaled season on a strong start. However, she suffered a leg injury in February. Hall had previously reported that Martin wasn’t expected to return for the rest of the season. Martin exited the Unrivaled season just after six games. She averaged 7.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 11 minutes.

Martin was drafted by the Las Vegas Aces in the 2024 WNBA draft. In December 2024, she was selected by the Golden State Valkyries from the Aces as part of the expansion draft. While Martin saw limited playing time with the Aces, Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase has said she will be a core part of the new team.

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Laces players stage hilarious search for “missing” Kate Martin

Laces BC will face Rose BC without Kate Martin, but it seems like they are still searching for their missing guard just moments before the game. The Laces players even turned it into a joke, announcing a “$1,000,000,000 reward” for her return.

The team shared a comical video of their exaggerated search efforts, featuring Alyssa Thomas looking sorrowfully at a missing-person poster with Martin’s face on it.

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“Missing Kate,” the poster read.

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Martin later reacted to the video in the comments, writing:

“I’m crying hahahahahahahhaha.”

While it was initially expected that she could return by the end of Unrivaled’s regular season, it now appears that her next game will likely be in the WNBA next season.