Teenager Has Unforgettable Interaction With Aces' Kate Martin During Recent Match

A teenage WNBA fan had an unforgettable experience at Friday night's Las Vegas Aces game thanks to one rookie in particular.

Brooklyn, 15, loves women's basketball and has been an Aces fan since day one. She was excited when the franchise drafted Kate Martin and had a unique chance to interact with her during Friday night's game.

Mercedes Martinez, Brooklyn's mother, shared her daughter's interaction with Martin in two TikTok videos. The first part showed Brooklyn making a sign that said, “Rock, paper, scissors for your shoes? and the video quickly went viral.

Martinez spoke to The Blast exclusively to share this exciting experience.

“We've been Aces fans since day one! We've been to about four or five games, but we still watch on TV when we can. I've been lucky enough to meet most of the players in the part of my job,” she said. The explosion.

“My daughter Brooklyn not only loves the WNBA, but she also loves women's college basketball. When the Aces drafted Kate Martin, she was excited.”

Martinez's friends are season ticket holders and sold her their tickets for Friday night so she could take her two daughters. Brooklyn asked if she could get a Martin jersey at the arena, and Martinez agreed.

“As we walked to our seats, we saw a sign-making station. She asked if she could make one to welcome Kate Martin to the team,” she continued. “I said she should ask him to play rock, paper, scissors to get his attention. Then she made this sign about his shoes.”

The seats Martinez and his daughters occupied were so close to the players on the court that almost every Aces player greeted Brooklyn on and off the court.

“During warm-ups, she yelled 'Kate' and showed her the sign. We couldn't believe when she was performing,” she told The Blast. “We laughed so hard after her win, not even caring if she had shoes on. Kate Martin played rock, paper, scissors with her! It's a win for her!”

But the excitement didn't stop there. After the match, Martin headed straight to Brooklyn, so she took out the jersey she had just purchased and the two had an interaction which can be seen in the second video on TikTok.

“We will never forget what she did and I will always be grateful to her for the joy she brought to all of us,” Martinez shared. “Go Aces!”

Martinez's first video was viewed more than a million times in less than a day. The second video, shared a few hours after the first, has already been viewed more than 470,000 times.

Many viewers took to the comments section to share their excitement for Brooklyn's moment with Martin.

“At least she remembered, signed the jersey and took a photo. Shoot, it's a WIN!” wrote one viewer. Another added: “I will say she always wears these shoes so they're probably her favorite. I'm glad she signed your daughter's stuff. She's very classy.”

Another viewer pointed out: “'This is the only pair I have', I love her, she's so healthy.”

At the end of the first month of the WNBA season, ESPN released its rankings of the top 9 rookies, and Martin was on the list!

1. Cameron Brink, Los Angeles Sparks
2. Angel Reese, Chicago Sky
3. Kate Martin, Ace of Las Vegas
4. Rickea Jackson, Los Angeles Sparks
5. Julie Vanloo, Washington Mystics
6. Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever
7. Aaliyah Edwards, Washington Mystics
8. Sevgi Uzun, Dallas Wings
9. Léonie Fiebich, New York Liberty

According to Sports Illustrated, ESPN WNBA editor Neil Paine explained that various statistics and metrics were used to create the list. The three main metrics used were: winning shares, estimated winnings added, and player efficiency rating.

“Each win estimate created is then averaged into a single metric, called Consensus Wins, which can be used to rank qualified rookies on a per-minute basis. (We rank this way to keep things fair as some teams have played almost twice as many games as the others),” Paine said.

“As an added twist, we will grade each rookie on a percentile scale (0-100) compared to all WNBA players this season in terms of scoring (based on points per 100 possessions), true shooting percentage , passes (based on assists), rebound rate and defensive impact (based on both SPR and defensive rating). where they rank — and what they could do to improve during the rest of their freshman season.

Martin's story is a true Cinderella story.

She went to the WNBA draft to support her former teammate and friend, Caitlin Clark. Martin was sitting in the audience and was approached by a woman working the event who told him: “You need to move the seats now.” »

And then a magical moment happened. Martin was selected 18th overall by the Aces.

The Aces rookie seems to be fitting in perfectly with his new team, according to social media posts. Martin recently celebrated her birthday and her teammates gave it their all! They even played a prank on her by making her believe that the bus had left without her and making her run after it.

Social media followers noticed how easy Martin's transition into starting her WNBA career was.

“New to the WNBA. Not going to lie. But I'm so impressed with how the Aces have welcomed Kate! Iowa has loved Kate for years, but now we love the Aces too!” wrote one Instagram user.

Another added: “She fits in perfectly with this team!”