By KPC Sports Correspondent
Kenya’s rise on the global basketball stage hit a historic peak on Monday night as Madina Okot was selected 13th overall by the Atlanta Dream in the 2026 WNBA Draft in New York City.
The 22-year-old becomes the first Kenyan to be drafted in the first round, underlining a breakthrough moment not just for her career, but for the country’s growing footprint in elite women’s basketball.
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Her selection also places her among a small but significant group of Kenyan-linked players in the WNBA Draft, following trailblazers such as Josephine Owino, the first native-born Kenyan drafted in 2009, and Olivia Nelson-Ododa, who was selected in 2022 and has Kenyan heritage.
In a statement ahead of the draft, the Kenya Basketball Federation described Okot’s call-up as a “historic and defining moment,” adding that her progression “reinforces a clear message: Kenyan players can compete, excel, and be recognized at the highest levels of the global game.”
Standing at 6’6”, the Mumias-born center heads into the professional ranks after a stellar collegiate campaign with the South Carolina Gamecocks, where she helped power the team to the NCAA Division I Women’s Championship final.
She averaged 12.8 points and 10.6 rebounds per game, recording 22 double-doubles — among the highest in Power Conference programs — while shooting an efficient 57.5 percent from the field.
Okot’s journey has been remarkably swift. She only began playing basketball in 2020, starting out at Zetech University before moving to the United States, where she also featured for the Mississippi State Bulldogs.
Beyond club and college success, she has represented Kenya on the international stage, turning out for the Lionesses as well as the national 3×3 U23 and senior teams — a pathway the federation says reflects the country’s improving talent development structures.
“I had to be obsessed with details,” Okot said after her selection. “This is not just for me. It is for all of Kenya, and I hope it makes us believe we belong at any stage.”
She now joins an Atlanta Dream side that includes WNBA stars Angel Reese and Allisha Gray, adding size, versatility, and rebounding strength to a competitive Eastern Conference roster.
Okot is expected to report for training camp on April 19, with preseason games set to begin on April 25 ahead of the regular season tip-off on May 8.
