Kate Martin NASTY ankle injury, helped to locker room | Las Vegas Aces vs Chicago Sky WNBA.

Las Vegas Aces rookie Kate Martin was helped off the floor in the first quarter of Tuesday’s game against the Chicago Sky after suffering an ankle injury.

Las Vegas Aces rookie Kate Martin had to be helped off the floor and was taken to the locker room after suffering an apparent ankle injury. The injury occurred in the first quarter of Tuesday night’s game against the Chicago Sky.

Late in the first quarter, Martin was attempting to push the ball up the court when she appeared to twist her ankle and lost her balance. The rookie was in serious pain, lying on the floor before eventually being helped off.

After the injury, Martin’s entire team came out for support. Eventually, she was able to put some pressure on the leg, but was taken to the locker room for further evaluation.

Martin returned to the team’s bench late in the second quarter. She was ruled out for the remainder of the game.

Martin has been a welcomed member of the Aces organization from the start, earning a lot of respect from her teammates.

Entering Tuesday night’s game against Chicago, Martin had appeared in 22 of Las Vegas’ 23 games this season. She’s averaging 3.6 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.2 assists per contest.

“Kate Martin is awesome. Kate Martin picks up things so quickly, she’s an amazing sponge,” Aces guard Kelsey Plum said of the rookie during the preseason. “I think (coach) Becky (Hammon) nicknamed her Kate ‘Money’ Martin. I think that’s gonna stick.

“And when I say ‘money,’ it’s not just about scoring and stuff, she’s just in the right place at the right time. She just makes people better. And that’s what Becky values, that’s what our coaching staff values and that’s why she’s gonna be a great asset to our team.”

Las Vegas selected Martin in the second round of the 2024 WNBA Draft. She was coming off the best season of her collegiate career at Iowa, averaging 13.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game during the 2023-24 campaign.