WNBA rookie and former Iowa Hawkeyes standout Kate Martin announced a new romantic relationship through a June 23 Instagram story.
The story features a photo of Martin standing alongside a woman with the Instagram handle @claire.gransee. The owner of that account is named Claire Gransee.
Gransee posted an initial story on June 23 with the caption, “switched coasts for the weekend!🎪”.
Martin then made her own Instagram story out of Gransee’s initial one, adding a “🥰” emoji.
This series of posts sparked speculation that Martin and Gransee were a relationship. And the former Hawkeyes guard confirmed those rumors when she commented on a TikTok from @abbey.tok from Tuesday.
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”.
And Martin commented on the post, writing, “She is gorgeous, stunning & perfect, I can’t lie,” (per her @katemartin03 TikTok account).
But who is Claire Gransee?
Claire Gransee Is Also An Iowa Hawkeye Alumni
According to Gransee’s LinkedIn account, she graduated with distinction from the University of Iowa in May 2024. She majored in Communication Studies alongside minors in both Law and Media Literacy.
Per her LinkedIn bio, Gransee, “plans to relocate to the Greater Boston Area upon my graduation, I am 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.”
Her relocation to Boston after graduating from Iowa would explain why she wrote, “switched coasts for the weekend!🎪” in her story alongside Martin.
Gransee’s LinkedIn account also notes that she graduated with a 3.94 GPA.
It’s unclear when her and Martin met during their time at Iowa. Yet, Martin’s Iowa Hawkeyes basketball profile notes that she graduated with her Master’s Degree in Sport and Recreation Management. Therefore the two likely didn’t meet in a shared major class.
Although Gransee was a Front Desk administrator at Iowa for nearly three years, which could have sparked a potential meeting between her and Martin.
Kate Martin Addresses ‘Unrealistic’ Expectations For Caitlin Clark
Kate 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, 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 the Indiana Fever by a score of 99-80.
Las Vegas and Indiana will face off again on Tuesday, July 2, at 9:30 PM EST.
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.
A few weeks after Iowa lost the 2024 NCAA Championship Game to the South Carolina Gamecocks, Martin was selected by the Aces (who are two-time defending WNBA champions) with the No, 18 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft.
Like Heavy.com’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy.com
The post Claire Gransee, Kate Martin’s New Girlfriend: What You Need to Know appeared first on Heavy.com.