Kate Martin's resilience has become one of her greatest strengths with the Sparks

For most young players, inconsistent minutes and changing of teams can be frustrating. One night they're part of the rotation, the next they're watching from the bench. It's an adjustment every rookie or young player has to make. For Kate Martin, it's nothing new.

Long before joining the Los Angeles Sparks, Martin learned that her role could change from game to game. That experience, dating back to her early years in college, taught her that the only thing she can control is how she prepares.

"I've been in this position before," Martin said. "Even in college, my first couple years, I really didn't play that many minutes. Some games I have to come in and play a lot, and other games I might not play at all."

Instead of letting those ups and downs affect her confidence, Martin has built a routine she sticks to no matter what.

"Staying ready for me is making sure I know my scout really well, preparing the exact same way every single time," she said. "Extra conditioning, playing live, getting everything in, and making sure I'm still continuing to get better is huge for me."

Her goal is simple. Whenever her name is called, she wants to be ready.

"I want to be in great shape so when I do go in, I'm not thinking, 'Oh shoot, I haven't played in forever,'" Martin said. "I'm really grateful to the player development coaches and our practice guys for continuing to push me and help me get better."

That mindset also shapes the way Martin measures success. She's never been a player who judges her performance by points alone. Instead, she takes pride in the little things that often go unnoticed.

"I think it's the little things," Martin said. "Offensive rebounding, diving on the floor for loose balls, even boxing out and your teammate getting the rebound. Those little things matter, and they add up."

When asked if there was one play she was most proud of this season, Martin couldn't think of a single moment. That's because her focus has never been on individual highlights.

"Even just bringing good energy to my teammates and having them feed off that is really important to me."

That selfless mentality has fit naturally with a Sparks team that continues to show signs of growth. Martin believes one of the biggest improvements has been the team's execution on both ends of the floor, especially over the past few weeks. She pointed to Tuesday's game against the New York Liberty as an example.

Despite giving up 113 points, Martin thought there were encouraging signs.

"They shot the ball extremely well, but we had seven kills," Martin said, referring to the team's goal of recording three consecutive defensive stops. "Our staff had told us if we got six kills in a game, we'd win every game where we've done that. I know they still scored 113 points, but we were very active and forced them to turn the ball over quite a bit."

She also feels the team's communication on defense and offensive execution have taken noticeable steps forward, giving the Sparks confidence as they continue building through the second half of the season.

While fans see what happens during games, much of Martin's work happens behind the scenes.

Along with continuing to develop her skills, she's placed a major emphasis on improving her conditioning and strengthening the mental side of her game.

"I would say my mental fortitude," Martin said. "And then also my conditioning."

She trusts the work she's put into her shot and overall skill development. For her, the challenge is making sure she's mentally and physically ready every single night, regardless of how many minutes she plays.

"I trust all the work that I put into my shot and my skills," Martin said. "But being in shape and being ready is huge. I've worked a lot on defense too, and continuing to work on the mental aspect of basketball is really important."

Martin believes there are countless ways to help a team win, even if the ball never finds you.

Whether it's spacing the floor, communicating on defense, boxing out, or simply bringing energy from the bench, she sees value in every possession.

"I might be in for 60 seconds, but if I box out and do my job, then I'm helping impact winning."

During her first season in Los Angeles, Martin has also leaned on the veterans around her.

She said Kelsey Plum has constantly reminded her to stay positive, especially with her self-talk, while Nneka Ogwumike has led by example every day.

"It's been cool to watch how Nneka works and how she handles her business," Martin said. "It's not necessarily something somebody has said to me. It's watching and observing how people handle their business, and I can take things from them."

More than anything, Martin hopes her career is remembered for something bigger than statistics.

"I'd hope my teammates would say I was always a really good teammate," she said. "People aren't always going to remember the stats, but they're always going to remember how you made them feel."

That perspective is what continues to drive her every day.

"When I'm 80 years old sitting in a rocking chair, can I look back and say I did things the right way?" Martin said. "I believe that's how I'm approaching every single day, doing things the right way and leaving it all out there so I have no regrets."

It's a simple philosophy, but one that's defined Martin throughout her basketball career. She doesn't need the spotlight to know she's making an impact. As long as she's prepared, helping her teammates, and doing whatever the Sparks need to win, she's exactly where she wants to be.