- Kenya’s Madina Okot made history on Sunday, April 6, 2026, by featuring in the NCAA Tournament championship final.
- Her club, South Carolina Gamecocks, fell 79–56 to UCLA in Phoenix, missing out on back-to-back national titles.
- However, Okot’s future remains up in the air as she weighs the decision of returning to the Gamecocks for another year or declaring for the WNBA Draft.
Kenya’s sensational basketball player Madina Okot made history on Sunday, April 5 when she featured in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) National Championship finals as her South Carolina Gamecocks side succumbed to a 79-51 blowout to UCLA in Phoenix.
Madina became the first-ever Kenyan to appear in the NCAA Tournament championship, where she has enjoyed a stellar campaign with the Gamecocks.
On Sunday, Okot started at center but played just 13 minutes which was her second-fewest of the season and saw only three minutes of action in the second half.
She finished with six points on 3-for-9 shooting and a season-low-tying three rebounds.
“(Their) defense was so good, way more physical, even though we were trying so hard,” Okot said.
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Okot’s struggles were caused by UCLA’s 6-foot-7 center Lauren Betts, who won Most Outstanding Player for the Final Four. Betts recorded 14 points on 6-for-10 shooting, a team-high 11 rebounds, and two blocks in 31 minutes.
Okot has now fallen short in two finals during her debut season with the Gamecocks, having also lost the SEC Tournament final, where South Carolina was beaten 78–61 by the Texas Longhorns on March 8, 2026.
While missing out on silverware is undoubtedly painful, her individual performance at South Carolina remains remarkable.
She is one of the players who have thrived under coach Dawn Staley. This season, the Kenya-born center has averaged 13.2 points and 10.8 rebounds per game, along with 22 double-doubles, the fifth-most in a single season in program history.
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What next for Kenya’s Madina Okot?
But after shining in the United States for two years, following a transition from Kenya’s Zetech University in 2020 to Mississippi State Bulldogs and now the Gamecocks, what’s next for the 21-year-old sensation?
Okot is now a senior, though she started playing college basketball back in Kenya.
Coach Staley has been pushing for her to receive an additional year of eligibility, given that this is only her second year competing in the United States.
This raises the broader question of whether years spent playing college basketball outside the U.S. should count toward NCAA eligibility.
Whatever the decision ends up being, it should set a precedent for any player coming from another country who has already played college basketball overseas.
As for Okot’s immediate future, Staley has pledged to pursue at least one more year of eligibility for her. The program is expected to file a petition with the NCAA, arguing that her time playing college basketball outside the United States should not count, as it differs significantly from NCAA competition.
The outcome remains uncertain, though a decision is anticipated soon after the arguments are reviewed.
If granted more eligibility, she is expected to return to South Carolina next year. Meanwhile, if she does not, she has plenty of options – from playing in the WNBA to competing in Europe or back home in Kenya.
As of April 4, they had not received an answer from the NCAA on Okot’s waiver. Staley was not asked about the waiver’s status on April 5 after the championship game, and the WNBA Draft is set to take place on April 13.
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In addition, if she is unable to return to South Carolina, she’s expected to be a top prospect in the WNBA draft.
Okot is projected as the No12 pick taken by the Connecticut Sun in The Athletic’s latest mock draft. ESPN’s February mock draft lists her as the No10 pick heading to the Indiana Fever.
With Okot having less than 48 hours to decide her fate, being drafted into the WNBA would be a truly historic moment for the Kenya-born star.