Former Iowa women’s basketball star Kate Martin avoids 3 more Las Vegas Aces roster cuts

 

Former Iowa women’s basketball star Kate Martin’s is still competing for a roster spot on the reigning WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces, and she avoided three more cuts by the organization on Monday.

After five total training camp cuts and one signing, Las Vegas’ roster size is trimmed down to the league maximum of 12 players. Still, the Aces carried a roster of only 11 at the start of the 2023 season, so Martin’s spot isn’t yet solidified.

On Monday, the Aces initially waived nine-year veteran guard Bria Hartley, the team announced on its social media in the morning. The former first-round pick from UConn hasn’t played in the league consistently since 2020 but appeared in 13 games last season between the Indiana Fever and Connecticut Sun.

Third-round rookie forward Angel Jackson was also waived.

The Aces then announced in the afternoon that they waived guard Kamaria McDaniel as well. The former Michigan State Spartan has never played in a WNBA game but averaged a league-leading 37.5 points, 7.6 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game in Turkey for Yalova VIP this past season.

Las Vegas then signed veteran guard Emma Cannon Monday evening. Cannon was previously waived by the Dallas Wings in their 2024 training camp.

The Aces previously waived guard Morgan Jones and forward Brea Beal, a 2023 AP All-American Honorable Mention and notable contributor on South Carolina’s 2022 national championship team, on May 2.

Former Hawkeye great Megan Gustafson also remains on the roster after signing a two-year contract on Feb. 1.

Previous update:Former Iowa women’s basketball star Kate Martin survives first cuts with Las Vegas Aces

Martin was drafted in the second round, 18th overall, on April 15 but is not guaranteed to make the team. With just 12 teams and a maximum of 144 total roster spots in the association, the WNBA is arguably the most difficult professional sports league to land with a team.

Of the 36 players drafted in 2023, only 15 played in a game last season and only eight made an opening-day roster. Martin making the top-12 on the back-to-back league champions was already a tall task, but her chances have been bolstered over the last several days.

Martin’s prospects initially increased when WNBA legend and future Basketball Hall of Famer Candace Parker announced her retirement on April 28, and with four more players out of the running, the former Hawkeye could secure a spot in the coming days.

 

 

Gus Martin is a Digital Producer/Content Director for The Des Moines Register. Follow him on X at @GusMartin_DMR.