When Caitlin Clark first stepped into Iowa’s locker room, it wasn’t all cheers. Her Mamba Mentality wasn’t exactly an easy fit with the existing team dynamic. The then Assistant coach Jan Jensen admitted that she and head coach Lisa Bluder “had to work really hard on the chemistry” because Clark was, well, different. Not in a bad way, just in a “breathe-basketball” kind of way. Building trust took time, effort, and a whole lot of honest conversations. Thankfully, things clicked eventually, and the team went to the national championship game twice. But the “glue” of that locker room? Well, it was Kate Martin, as Iowa natives famously like to call her. But besides herself, there were other forever partners that Martin introduced. Cockroaches.
Yep, don’t be surprised there. If you look up 5 fun facts about Kate Martin, what might show up will appear to be a list of Disney fun main characters’ personality traits. She seems a little whimsical like that. Like once, “I love the people who are energy givers. Who you see and you don’t feel like you have to be on…” Martin said. And she sticks by that because it wasn’t a random statement. Rather, she was making this heartfelt revelation to Jada Gyamfi, who is also her unofficial successor for locker room mischief duty.
And although Gyamfi is no longer on the same team as Kate Martin or Caitlin Clark, their Hawkeyes bond runs deep. It recently showed when she wished Kate Martin a happy birthday through a heartfelt Instagram story collage. There she wrote, “My person happy birthday Katie Kate, I love you forever and even longer!” The post had the sweetest throwback moments. It featured courtside hugs, some cruise boat selfies, and lots of locker room laughs. Jada even used her IG stories to hype CC up after the All-Star draft night. Gyamfi reposted a picture of the Fever star posing with the names of her All-Star team. She dubbed it with a “Yeah, that’s fire.”
It’s clear they’re each other’s comfort space. But, as it turns out, they love making things uncomfortable, too. The energy Kate Martin talks about is a playful one, and Jada Gyamfi revealed exactly why. When an interviewer once asked, “Is there an infestation in the Iowa locker room?” she couldn’t stop smiling and admitted, “So I have fake cockroaches in my locker. They have been passed down for many years.” But wait, she didn’t start that trend. “Kate had them when I got here, and I took them from Kate when she left,” she explained.
Is there an infestation in the Iowa locker room? @kate_martin22 started a trend, and Jada Gyamfi has kept it alive.
To whom will she pass the torch next season?! pic.twitter.com/JsPivhoo5q
— Owen Siebring (@owensiebring) July 10, 2025
The cockroaches aren’t a showpiece or some good luck charm; they have a functional use. They’re used for what, you ask? “That’s my go-to prank. Cockroach in your shoe. If you bring a backpack in, you might find a couple of fake cockroaches in there.” Jada revealed. “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.” That’s enough to tell you all about the close relations inside that locker room.
That level of closeness probably stemmed from the “circle time” ritual that Coach Lisa Bluder started. Before and after practices, the team took time to share, manifest, connect, and listen. It started as a healthy practice, but it grew 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 Wednesday night, the Golden State Valkyries beat the Indiana Fever for the second time this season. They won 80-61, that too, in Caitlin Clark’s comeback game after her injury. Clark managed to put up 10 points, six assists, and five rebounds. The highest scorer on the team was Kelsey Mitchell with 12. The Valkyries’ standout performers were Veronica Burton and Kayla Thornton. They dropped 39 points together and helped Golden State notch its 10th win of the season.
But this wasn’t just any regular-season game. Rather, it was a reunion between Clark, a two-time All-Star, and Valkyries guard Kate Martin. As we know, the two have been key figures in putting women’s college basketball in the spotlight during their unforgettable NCAA tournament runs in 2023 and 2024. And now they were facing off as pros. Kate Martin scored five points, including a three-pointer, in 19 minutes of play, and she’s now 2-0 against Clark in their pro matchups.
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. It showed that their bond is still strong. 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.
The post Caitlin Clark’s Ex-Teammate Discloses Iowa Locker Room Culture Prevalent Since Fever Star’s Stint appeared first on EssentiallySports.
