Kate Martin Suffers WNBA Community’s Backlash as Golden State Valkyries’ Lineup Reignites Roster Debate

Being one of the newest franchises in the WNBA since the Atlanta Dream’s arrival in 2008, the Golden State Valkyries were expected to bring fresh energy and diversity to the league—and they did. In their first preseason game against the Los Angeles Sparks, the team played in front of a sold-out arena of 17,000 fans, marking the largest crowd in WNBA preseason history. So, it makes sense why fans had high expectations.

However, just one day into their inaugural regular season, the team is already facing a storm of backlash. Surprisingly, it isn’t the franchise as a whole that’s under fire—but one player in particular.

The controversy erupted when the Valkyries revealed their starting five for the season opener: Veronica Burton, Tiffany Hayes, Kate Martin, Kayla Thornton, and Temi Fagbenle. And that’s exactly what didn’t sit well with fans.

Well, it all comes up since Laeticia Amihere, the standout who had a game-high 20-point contribution during the Valkyries’ first preseason game, was absent. Since she has had the spotlight since training camps, many expected her to be part of the lineup. But, that’s not going to happen ever since the team has waived her off.

Lineup alert: Valkyries will start Burton, Hayes, Martin, Thornton, Fagbenle on Friday.

— Underdog WNBA (@UnderdogWNBA) May 17, 2025

Now, with her nowhere in the lineup, confusion and frustration boiled over—not just at the team’s decision-making, but directly at Kate Martin, whose inclusion in the starting five reignited the ongoing roster debate.

As expected, fans took to the comment section and began sounding off.

“WTF. Kate sucks lol,” one user wrote bluntly.

“Amihere is better” added another spectator. And honestly, Amihere isn’t the only reason behind that backlash.

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