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can vividly remember the summer of 2020 when a freshman guard was already making her presence felt on the University of North Georgia (¹û¶³´«Ã½) women's basketball team before a single game was played. was making hustle plays and inspiring her teammates to take their game to another level.

Fast-forward a few years, and Martin is the clear leader of the ¹û¶³´«Ã½ women's basketball team, which is 29-2 and has already secured Peach Belt Conference (PBC) regular-season and tournament championships. Martin has earned PBC Player of the Year honors, and the Nighthawks are preparing to host the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional from March 14-17 as the No. 1 seed.

"You can't teach hustle. You can't teach effort. And she brings it every day. So getting to play with her was so much fun. It fired you up to play alongside someone like that. You see her diving on the floor and going after every ball," Sutton, who was Martin's teammate for two years and is now an assistant coach for the Nighthawks, said. "And you're like, wow, I've got to step it up. If the freshman's doing that, I've got to step it up and do it. And she hasn't changed. She still is that player, but even better."

Martin and her ¹û¶³´«Ã½ teammates tip off NCAA tournament play at 5 p.m. March 14 against UNC Pembroke at the Convocation Center in Dahlonega, Georgia. The North Forsyth High School graduate is now a three-time All-PBC first-team selection and the second player to earn both the PBC Player of the Year and PBC Freshman of the Year honors in their career. She leads the team in scoring (16.9 per game) and rebounding (5.7 per contest).  But those accolades and numbers aren't what drive her. She begins listing off teammates and talking about their effort and impact.

"I see how hard these girls work. And it makes me want to work even harder. That's what's built our friendship and chemistry on the court is wanting to be better for each other," Martin said. "We want to play and we want to win for each other. We have no selfishness on the team at all."

There was a major speed bump for Martin along the way as a torn ACL caused her to miss the entire 2023-24 season and ¹û¶³´«Ã½ missed the NCAA tournament for the first time in seven years. It was the first year she hadn't played the sport she was 9 or 10 years old, which is also the time of her life when she started attending basketball camps at ¹û¶³´«Ã½ and dreaming of shining on the campus she now calls home. 

"She's put in so much work to be where she is this year from her injury," assistant coach said. "It hasn't been easy for her, but she finally is getting to see a little bit of the payoff."

Martin earned a bachelor's degree in kinesiology with an exercise science concentration in May 2024. As she considered her future career path, though, with two seasons of eligibility remaining thanks to her medical redshirt and her COVID-19 extra season, she decided to begin pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing with an eye toward pediatric nursing. The support from her coaches and nursing faculty has been unwavering.

"I love to care for other people, and that shows on the court in different aspects. Nursing is not for the weak," Martin said. "It is very hard, but I love it. Having that and basketball, it definitely consumes your life."

As Sutton sees Martin continuing to lead her teammates, the assistant coach can't help but be proud of that hard-working freshman who has turned into a fifth-year senior leading a team with bona fide national title hopes.

"She's that type of person that when she starts talking, everyone else gets quiet because they want to hear what she has to say," Sutton said.

Martin is quick to point out that this whole season and this postseason push all come down to an unmatched family atmosphere.

"This team has bought into what our coaches preach and what this program is all about," Martin said. "You can see it on the court and see how well we work together and how much fun we have. It's going to show. And I think we can go all the way."