- Kenya’s President William Ruto attended the Atlanta Dream’s win over the New York Liberty to watch Madina Okot play.
- Ruto and First Lady Rachel Ruto attended the Dream’s game on Thursday, September 24, at the Barclays Center.
- Dream won 83–65, with Madina playing three minutes and recording two points and two rebounds to help her side secure the No. 4 seed in the playoffs.
President William Ruto was courtside on Thursday morning watching Kenya’s Madina Okot in the Atlanta Dream’s win over the New York Liberty at the Barclays Center.
The president was in New York for the United Nations General Assembly this week, where he, First Lady Rachel Ruto, NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum, and members of NBA Africa watched the WNBA side secure an 83–65 victory.
“That was a very great honor. I appreciate him showing up,” Okot told The Associated Press after the game.
“I’m the only Kenyan over here, and it just shows how much he supports sports back home. I hope that this opens up opportunities for other girls. I’m so blessed to get support from him.”
Okot was on the court for only three minutes, where she scored two points and grabbed two rebounds to help her side secure the No. 4 seed in the playoffs.
Ruto’s attendance was a show of support for the only third Kenyan to play in the Women’s National Basketball Association, and the first-ever Kenyan to be drafted in the first round.
Madina was selected with the 13th pick in the first round back in April, and she has been a sensation since joining the Dream.
She has become a regular contributor off the bench and has occasionally started under coach Karl Smesko.
ALSO READ: Madina Okot biography, height, stats, career and latest news
On Thursday, Madina wrapped up the regular season with 42 appearances, while also making two starts during the 2026 campaign.
Across those 42 games, she maintained an impressive 57.7% shooting accuracy from the field, averaging 5.4 points and 3.3 rebounds in roughly 9.1 minutes per game.
She maximized her limited time on the court by protecting the rim and creating second-chance opportunities, finishing the regular season with 140 total rebounds and 12 blocks.
Several standout performances defined Okot’s rookie year, highlighted by a career-high 19-point scoring burst against the Portland Fire on July 11.
ALSO READ: Kenyan-born star Madina Okot makes history with WNBA Draft selection, joins Atlanta Dream
Just weeks earlier, she showcased her game-changing potential by dropping 18 points and grabbing seven rebounds to post a career-high 22 efficiency rating during a tight 94–87 victory over the Toronto Tempo.
She also reached a major franchise milestone on July 29, when she secured her 100th career WNBA rebound against the Phoenix Mercury, further underlining her emergence as one of the league’s promising young interior players.
Now, Madina and Atlanta (31–13) will turn their attention to the playoffs. They will have to wait until Friday to find out whether they will host Indiana or Washington in the first round, which begins Sunday.
After wrapping up her 2026 rookie campaign with the Dream, Okot, 22, will head to Australia for the WNBA offseason to play for the Tasmania Jewels in the Australian Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL) before returning to the Dream in 2027.
[…] ALSO READ: President Ruto attends Atlanta Dream win over Liberty to watch Kenya’s Madina Okot play […]