- Kenya’s Madina Okot officially makes WNBA debut with the Atlanta Dream on Sunday, May 10, 2026.
- Okot played 10 minutes, dropping eight points, four rebounds, and one steal as Atlanta battled back to secure a dramatic 91-90 win over the Minnesota Lynx.
- The Dream return to action on Wednesday, May 13, at 3am East African Time (8pm ET), when they face the Dallas Wings in Texas.
Kenya’s basketball history maker Madina Okot officially made her WNBA debut on Sunday, May 10, when her side Atlanta Dream staged a sensational comeback to edge past the Minnesota Lynx 91-90 at Target Center in Minneapolis.
The rookie, who has been included in the Dream’s 12-star squad for this campaign, managed to come off the bench for 10 minutes.
In that stretch, the newcomer left her fingerprint on the contest and nearly secured a double-digit haul, dropping eight points alongside four rebounds and one steal.
Madina Okot officially makes WNBA debut
Her debut victory became even sweeter in a matchup they almost let slip away, fighting back from a staggering 19-point deficit at the break.
Guard Te-Hina Paopao nailed a 16-foot jump shot with 11.3 seconds remaining to give Atlanta its first lead of the night.
READ MORE: Madina Okot biography, height, stats, career and latest news
In the final seconds, the Dream forced a held ball and recorded two blocks, including a pivotal rejection by debutant center Angel Reese to prevent a game-winning layup and seal the comeback.
After a quiet first half, the Dream shot 48.6% from the field during the final 20 minutes, while dominating the glass against the Lynx, 22-8.
Both teams traded blows in the final quarter. With under seven minutes to go, back-to-back layups by Reese brought the Dream from down seven to within three.
Moments later, a layup and a 3-pointer by Naz Hillmon on consecutive possessions leveled the score.
A pair of free throws from Allisha Gray tied the game again with 1:24 left. Jordan Canada added a driving layup with under a minute remaining – Atlanta’s last field goal before Paopao’s game-winner.
The Dream assembled an 18-4 run in the third quarter, one of several surges in the final two periods.
Gray helped spark the second-half resurgence, pouring in 14 of her 24 points in the third quarter. The guard went 9-for-11 from the charity stripe, posting a team-high plus/minus of +13. Hillmon and Rhyne Howard finished with 15 points apiece, while Canada chipped in a dozen points and six of the team’s 22 assists.
Reese made an instant splash in her first outing with the Dream, recording a double-double with 11 points and 14 rebounds. She became the second-youngest player to reach 50 career double-doubles, adding two assists and two steals.
Atlanta overcame 14 first-half turnovers that led to 20 Lynx points. The Dream cleaned up their act after the break, forcing 11 turnovers while committing only seven.
A relatively quiet first quarter from Atlanta gave way to a more productive second period, where they drilled five 3-point shots as part of an 8-for-15 shooting effort.
Madina Okot, who made history as the first Kenyan ever drafted in the WNBA in the first round and only the third Kenyan overall, has already stolen the spotlight in Atlanta. During the preseason, she turned in an incredible performance.
Now, she will be looking forward to more minutes as she finds her footing on the global stage, aiming to replicate her South Carolina double-double magic and help Coach Karl Smesko’s squad make a name for themselves this season.
The Dream return to action on Wednesday, May 13, at 3am East African Time / 8pm ET, when they face the Dallas Wings in Texas. The Wings also kicked off their season on a high note, beating the Indiana Fever 107-104 on Sunday morning.