“They’ll be my best friends for the rest of my life, and that’s what matters to me the most.” As Caitlin Clark wrapped up her final interview as a Hawkeye, she talked about the loss, the records, or the future. But she was primarily focused on the 11 women that surrounded her through her four years at the University of Iowa. But that trust, as she said, “That took a couple of years to get to that point.” It wasn’t just the rise to stardom or the successes or the attention that got them together. It was what was brewing behind the scenes, under the keen eyes of then-HC Lisa Bluder. 

The winningest coach in Iowa’s history knew the perfect spice to add to a good team is connection. That became very apparent as she welcomed a highly-touted star, Caitlin Clark. While she played the way she still does – with passion and energy – she wasn’t always as trusting. Nevertheless, Bluder did what she always did for years with her team: get them in a circle and just breathe, meditate, share stories… anything… after each practice. Now that was what the coach did. The players, of course, also played their due part.

Inside the locker room, things weren’t always tense and a big part of that culture would be the glue as they all called her– Kate Martin. The leader of the squad always had her eyes and ears open to check on her teammates. She even had her shoulders and arms open if someone needed a good cry. But well, she is Kate Martin. And she wasn’t one without any pranks down her sleeves. As it turns out, one of those pranks has now gone down as a legacy, passed on from ‘generations-to-generations’. And Jada Gyamfi is carrying it on.

While talking to sports anchor from Cedar, Iowa, Owen Siebring, Gyamfi revealed what that thing is. Siebring asked her, “Is there an infestation in the Iowa locker room?” Laughing, she confessed, “Okay. So, I have fake cockroaches in my locker. They have been passed down for many years. So, Kate had them when I got here… and I took them from Kate when she left. So, that’s my go-to prank. Cockroach in the shoe, if you bring a back-pack in, you might find a couple fake cockroaches in there. Or sometimes when everyone’s like really tired after like weights or something, I’ll just grab one and like throw it and see if anyone notices. It’s really funny.”

Curious, Siebring further asked, “How long that’s been around?” And a clueless Gyamfi answered, “Oh my God! Well, I’ve been here for four… probably like years… I don’t know but I need to more. So, if you ever get a tour of the locker room and you open my locker, you’ll see a mason jar of fake cockroaches.” Siebring even asked her, “Did Kate start it?” And the forward simply replied, “I believe so, yeah.”

Clearly, the “circle time” ritual that Coach Lisa Bluder started as a healthy practice has grown to be a lot more than that. The ritual made the squad come closer and “understand each other,” Bluder said. So, when teams were physical with Clark, it became personal. “Our circle, we were so tight,” she added. Now that both Kate and Caitlin Clark have transitioned to the W, it shows how tight they were, because no amount of wins or losses against each other impacts their relationship.

Caitlin Clark and Kate Martin: Beyond the Box Score

On April 15, in the 2024 WNBA draft, everyone knew who the first overall pick was going to be: The generational talent out of Iowa, Caitlin Clark. Of course, apart from her family and head coach, her teammates had to be there. So, Jan Jensen, Jada Gyamfi, Kate Martin, and Gabbie Marshall sat on the back of the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the venue, to cheer on Clark as the WNBA Commissioner, Cathy Engelbert, announced her name. While this was an obvious trip to make, it turned double celebratory for the Hawkeyes as the Las Vegas Aces selected Martin too in the same draft.

As soon as her name was called as the 18th overall pick, the Indiana Fever star who was backstage giving interviews couldn’t help but quip, “Oh I missed her name being called!” Martin’s reaction? “I just came here to cheer for Caitlin.” While the two went to separate team on different coasts, their bond never ended.

Initially, when Martin was asked if they were still friends, she would candidly state how “we call or text each other every day.” Being rookies in a professional league, the two bonded even more, supporting each other through the hardships that comes with being a WNBA star. Not to mention, the very first time that the Fever went against the Aces lasts season, Martin and Clark hugged it out, laughed it up, and cried it out during the warm ups before going head-to-head, literally because Martin was given the duty to guard Clark.

In fact, to date, the two meet each other before every game in their series just to have some quality time together as friends before turning into fierce opponents as the Hawkeyes have always been. Just this Wednesday, Martin’s new team Golden State Valkyries beat the Indiana Fever in Caitlin Clark’s comeback game after her injury.

Still, there’s no bad blood between them. In fact, when photographer Bri Lewerke posted pics of Martin and Caitlin Clark chatting and shaking hands during the game, Martin commented, “I love her!” and Clark replied with five heart emojis. Even though they’re not teammates anymore, fans from Iowa and beyond still flock to see them play. Their friendship steals the show every time. It just proves that for these two, what happens off the court means way more than the final score.