Kenyan basketball star Madina Okot was selected 13th overall by the Atlanta Dream in the 2026 Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) Draft, held on Monday night, April 13, 2026 at The Shed at Hudson Yards in New York City.
With this selection, Okot becomes one of the few Kenyan players to be drafted into the WNBA and the first to be selected in the first round, marking a historic milestone for Kenyan basketball on the global stage.
The 6’6” centre enters the professional ranks following an outstanding 2025/26 collegiate season, most recently with the South Carolina Gamecocks.
Okot played a key role in helping the team reach the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship final, competing at the highest level of the college game.
Across the season, she averaged 12.8 points and 10.6 rebounds per game, 57.5 per cent field goal shooting and 44.8 per cent from three-point range, and 22 double-doubles and tied for the most among players in Power Conference programs.
Okot’s rise through the game has been nothing short of extraordinary, moving from picking up basketball in 2020 to reaching the professional stage within just a few years.
She began her journey in Kenya with Zetech University before transitioning to the U.S. collegiate system, where she first starred for the Mississippi State Bulldogs prior to her move to the South Carolina Gamecocks.
She now joins the Atlanta Dream adding size, versatility, and rebounding presence to a roster that includes WNBA All Stars Angel Reese and Allisha Gray to add to a competitive core in the Eastern Conference.
“I had to be obsessed with details. This is not just for me. It is for all of Kenya, and I hope it makes us believe we belong at any stage,” said Okot.
Following the draft, Okot will report to training camp beginning April 19, 2026, as teams begin preparations for the upcoming season.
Her transition to the professional level marks the next phase in a journey that has seen her rise from local beginnings in Kenya to the global stage in just a few years.
By Joseph Ng’ang’a
