Kate Martin was caught in a social media storm after her foul on Angel Reese in the Unrivaled women’s basketball league, with rumors circulating that the former LSU star wanted her rival expelled.

Angel Reese competed against Kate Martin in the Unrivaled basketball league (Image: Getty)

WNBA star Kate Martin has shot down ‘untrue’ rumors of a rift with Angel Reese after a rough foul in the new women’s ‘Unrivaled’ basketball league. The conflict was supposed to have stemmed from a physical 3v3 game where Martin, now with the Golden State Valkyries, fouled Reese, causing her to take a heavy tumble.

This led to whispers that Reese, formerly an LSU Tigers star, wanted Martin booted from the Unrivaled league. The buzz sprang up partly due to Reese’s known heated past encounters with Caitlin Clark, Martin’s ex-teammate at Iowa Hawkeyes. In the 2023 season, LSU triumphed over Iowa, igniting more chatter.

Seeing Reese come under fire over these reports, Martin defended her through a direct Instagram message, refuting the allegations. “Hey man, that post about Angel wanting me out of Unrivaled is completely untrue,” asserted Martin in her private note to a social media user discussing the baseless accusation. “I try to stay out of social media BS but I couldn’t let that one slide. I don’t like misinformation like that out there.”

Martin has been lauded for defending Reese against online critics, with one fan writing: “Kate is a real one and angel is too! Love them both.” Another chimed in: “Boss, I try to tell you that Angel Reese gets enough ——– without all the false information put out there on her. This is why people like me countless others go so hard for her.”

“Respect to @katemartin for reaching out to you. Shows great character,” praised a third fan. The user Martin had a conversation with also offered an apology to Reese, saying, “i def promise to do better in the future and make sure im 100% certain of things before i post them,” according to recruit.the.hood, a basketball-themed Instagram account.

The post continued: “I feel awful but i would never post anything for clicks and views… honestly im thrilled to death when just one person likes my post… i know my real followers will know that, but tonight im just feeling so bad that i was dumb enough to fall for mis-info.”

Kate Martin has called out fake rumors of a feud with Angel Reese following their showdown in Unrivaled (Image: Getty)
Drafted into the WNBA alongside first-rounders Clark and Reese, 24 year old Martin played the 2024 season with the Las Vegas Aces after being picked 18th overall. She’s now set to join the league’s latest team, the Valkyries.

Martin aims to be a leading figure for the Valkyries following last December’s WNBA expansion draft. She’ll be coached by former Aces assistant and now Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase. “I just call her coach Nat, so I’m gonna refer to her as coach Nat, if that’s alright,” Martin stated.

“But coach Nat and I kind of bonded over that in Vegas, of just, you know, having to be ready to work, nothing’s given to you, you earn everything kind of mindset. And so, she’s just the type of coach that I want to play for, and type of coach, like I said earlier, makes you want to run through a brick wall for them.”