Getty Former Iowa Hawkeyes teammates Caitlin Clark (L) #22 of the Indiana Fever and Kate Martin #20 of the Las Vegas Aces greet each other on the court during warmups before a May 25, 2024 WNBA game.
WNBA rookie and former Iowa Hawkeyes standout Kate Martin hinted that she’s in a romantic relationship in a June 23 Instagram Story.
The story features a photo of Martin standing alongside a woman with the Instagram handle @claire.gransee. Gransee, a fellow University of Iowa alumna, initially posted the Instagram Story on June 23 with the caption, “switched coasts for the weekend!🎪.”
Martin then shared the Story, adding a “🥰” emoji.
The posts sparked speculation among fans that Martin and Gransee are a relationship. And the former Hawkeyes guard seemed to confirm those rumors when she commented on a TikTok video on Tuesday, June 25.
The TikTok video included the caption, “i can’t even be upset if that’s Kate Martin’s girlfriend because she is LITERALLY GORGEOUS STUNNING BEAUTIFUL PERFECT”.
Martin commented on the post, writing, “She is gorgeous, stunning & perfect, I can’t lie.”
But who is Claire Gransee?
Claire Gransee Is Also an Iowa Hawkeye Alumna
According to Gransee’s LinkedIn account, she graduated with distinction from the University of Iowa in May 2024 with a major in communication studies and minors in both law and media literacy.
Per her LinkedIn bio, following graduation in May 2024, Gransee planned “to relocate to the Greater Boston Area” and was “excited to bring with me the skills I have acquired not only from my coursework but also from my professional experience at The University of Iowa and The National Concert Hall in Dublin, Ireland.” Gransee’s bio indicates she spent four months in a human resources internship at the concert hall.
A May 2024 LinkedIn post indicates she had accepted a job in Boston with Beacon Hill Technologies, which offers “technology consulting services, staffing solutions and onshore resources,” per the company’s website.
Martin was selected 18th overall in the 2024 WNBA draft by the two-time defending WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces, which would explain Gransee’s comment that she “switched coasts.”
Gransee’s LinkedIn account also notes that she graduated with a 3.94 GPA and that she worked as a front desk administrator at Iowa for nearly three years.
It’s unclear when she and Martin met during their time at Iowa. Martin’s Iowa Hawkeyes basketball profile notes that she graduated with her master’s degree in sport and recreation management.
Kate Martin Addresses ‘Unrealistic’ Expectations for Caitlin Clark
Martin’s best friend during her time at Iowa was fellow WNBA rookie Caitlin Clark.
During an interview with Fox 5 News Las Vegas on Monday, June 24, Martin said, “Caitlin’s phenomenal and she’s having a great rookie season. I think people are really hard on her, expecting her to be perfect. That’s unrealistic.
“But she’s a phenomenal person,” Martin continued. “She’s a phenomenal player and I’m going to support her through everything.”
The two former Hawkeyes have played each other once during this 2024 WNBA season. That came on May 25, when the Aces defeated Clark’s Indiana Fever by a score of 99-80.
Las Vegas and Indiana will face off again on Tuesday, July 2, at 9:30 p.m. Eastern time.
In 13 games played for the Aces this season, Martin is averaging 4 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 17.2 minutes played.