NEW YORK (USA) - Although two other Kenyans have previously been drafted into the WNBA, Okot is the first to be selected in the first round.
Josephine Owino was a third-round pick in the 2009 draft, while Kenyan-American Olivia Nelson-Ododa was a second-round selection in the 2022 draft.
Believe it or not, Madina Okot, the Atlanta Dream's 13th overall pick in this year's WNBA draft, did not touch a basketball until six years ago.
However, her late start to the sport hasn't prevented her from becoming one of the most recognised faces in the African basketball scene in recent years, while playing for her Kenyan national team (in both 3-on-3 and five-a-side formats).
Her journey from Mumias, Kenya to the grandest of stages in a sport she picked up in 2020 is a tale of resilience, self belief and so much more;
Okot grew up playing volleyball, and didn’t touch a basketball until she was 16.
Okot was born in Kakamega County in western Kenya, a region known for producing more footballers, rugby players and volleyball players than any other sport.
However, the history-making Okot never watched basketball as a child and had no familiarity with the sport. In fact, he wasn’t even sure what basketball was.
When she was approached by Kaya Tiwi, a coastal-based school that has produced some of the biggest basketball names in Kenya, including Felmas Koranga, to join their basketball team, she was uninterested at first, but the coach convinced her parents who in turn urged their daughter to make the switch.
Within a year, she had learned the sport and was featuring for Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) in the Kenyan league, while still in school, drawing the attention of Team Kenya selectors.
At age 17, Okot was named to the Kenyan national basketball 3x3 U23 team.She helped the team win the FIBA Nations League Africa (South) held in Nairobi back in 2022, earning a ticket to the World Championships in Romania.
Two weeks later, she featured for the senior team at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham where she grabbed the attention of U.S. college coaches. The same year, she'd been recognized at the Kenyan national sporting awards as the most promising female athlete in the country at the Kenyan Sports Personality of the Year Awards (SOYA).
It was a huge year for Okot as she featured for KPA at the FIBA Africa Women’s Champions Cup in Maputo, where she emerged as the tournament’s top rebounder, averaging 12.3 rebounds per game.
The following year in Alexandria, Egypt, she made the team of the tournament, having guided the Kenyan side to silver, the highest finish by a Kenyan side in the continental showpiece.
Okot had picked valuable experience after featuring in one of the grandest basketball stages, the inaugural women's Nike Hoop Summit where she made history as the only African player to make the World Select Women's Team roster.
The Summit thrust her further into the spotlight.
Her first chance to move to the NCAA, she says, came after the Commonwealth Games with Troy University ready to add her to their roster. What followed, however, was a frustrating period that saw her face Visa denials four times, twice for the Troy opportunity, a third when Eastern Michigan coaches reached out ahead of the 2023/24 season.
She made a decision to join a Kenyan University, joining Zetech Sparks where she made a huge impact in coach Maurice Obilo's roster, turning them into a championship-seeking side. A fourth Visa denial, after being urged to give it another shot by her Zetech Sparks family, left her devastated.
Having the right people around her helped when Mississippi State came calling for the 2024/25 season.
She transferred to South Carolina in April 2025 as a senior where she went on to averaged a double-double for the Gamecocks.
Okot set career highs with 12.8 points and 10.6 rebounds per game. Okot led the SEC in rebounding and finished the season with 22 double-doubles. That mark was the highest in the SEC and No. 3 in the entire country.
Her contributions were instrumental in the Gamecocks’ run to the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championship final, showcasing her ability to perform at the highest level of the collegiate game. She earned her first all-conference recognition this season after landing on the All-SEC second team. She was also a finalist for the Lisa Leslie Center of the Year Award.
"Madina brought so much to our team this year both on the court and off,” said head coach Dawn Staley. “She is incredibly young in her basketball career, but her maturity and desire to improve go well beyond those years. We’ve seen tremendous growth over the season, and everyone around our program is excited to see her thrive at the next level.”
Under coach Staley, Okot, who shot 64.9% from the floor last year, all two-pointers, developed into a legitimate three-point threat, shooting 44.8% from behind the arc, making 13 this season,, a statistic likely to set her apart as she makes her WNBA debut.
FIBA