After four (4) visa denials and having to try her luck in three (3) different sports, the stars eventually aligned for 21 year old Kenyan basketball player Madina Okot who has now being drafted into the Women's NBA draft for 2026.
As a result, she has now become the highest picked (13th overall pick, 1st Round) Kenyan in history and the third from her country to be drafted in the WNBA.
The 6ft6 centre joins the pinnacle of domestic Basketball just six years after touching a ball for the first time.
Reflecting on the night she was picked, Okot told newsmen: “I was so nervous.
“When I heard my name, it was like a dream. Am I here? Am I really doing this?”
As a result, she has now become the highest picked (13th overall pick, 1st Round) Kenyan in history and the third from her country to be drafted in the WNBA.
The 6ft6 centre joins the pinnacle of domestic Basketball just six years after touching a ball for the first time.
Reflecting on the night she was picked, Okot told newsmen: “I was so nervous.
“When I heard my name, it was like a dream. Am I here? Am I really doing this?”
Okot was rejected four times in her attempts to join Troy University in Alabama and then Eastern Michigan University.
She said: “It was tough. I felt like giving up several times.
“The second, third and fourth one I cried so hard.”
The “heartbreaking” and “discouraging” ordeal was brought to an end on the fifth attempt as Okot was granted a visa on her birthday in 2024 – August 23.
She described it as the best birthday gift she’s ever got.
She said: “It was tough. I felt like giving up several times.
“The second, third and fourth one I cried so hard.”
The “heartbreaking” and “discouraging” ordeal was brought to an end on the fifth attempt as Okot was granted a visa on her birthday in 2024 – August 23.
She described it as the best birthday gift she’s ever got.
Okot joined Mississipi State ahead of the 2024-25 season before transferring to the University of South Carolina in April last year.
Okot is now gearing up for her first season in the professional game for the Atlanta Dream. She is considered an intriguing prospect for the Dream due to her high-end rebounding and development as a
shot-blocker.
Credit: The U.S Sun
Okot is now gearing up for her first season in the professional game for the Atlanta Dream. She is considered an intriguing prospect for the Dream due to her high-end rebounding and development as a
shot-blocker.
Credit: The U.S Sun
