Madina Okot selected by Atlanta Dream in first round of 2026 WNBA Draft
South Carolina center Madina Okot was selected by the Atlanta Dream with the No. 13 pick in the first round of the WNBA Draft on Monday night.
Okot was the second Gamecock selected in the 2026 draft. She is also the program’s first post player to be selected in the first round of the WNBA Draft since Kamilla Cardoso in 2024.
“I’m so excited to be here today,” Okot said. “Just getting drafted, it’s a dream come true. I’m so excited that I’m going to be able to compete against the greatest players that I’ve been watching, I’ve been looking up to growing up.”
Okot played just one year with the Gamecocks after transferring in for the 2025-26 season. The Kenya native put together strong results in her senior year. Okot received an All-SEC second-team selection and was a finalist for the Lisa Leslie Center of the Year Award.
The 6-foot-6 center averaged a double-double with 12.8 points and an SEC-leading 10.6 rebounds per game this year. Both were career-bests. Okot’s 22 double-doubles were the third-most in the country. On draft night, Okot said the physicality of the SEC will help her in the WNBA.
“I’m gonna bring the same spirit, just being able to keep working hard and going for what I want,” Okot said. “I know it’s gonna be different, it’s not college anymore...I’m still gonna be [as] physical as I’ve been.”
Okot shot 57.5% from the floor this season and expanded her range to include a consistent 3-point shot to her game. Okot had never attempted a 3-pointer in her NCAA career before transferring to South Carolina but went 13 for 29 attempts (44.8%) from beyond the arc this season.
Okot was dominant on both sides of the ball in the post this season when she played her best basketball. She averaged 1.4 blocks and 1.3 steals and had a 6.5 defensive box plus/minus this past season.
ESPN analyst and Basketball Hall of Famer Rebecca Lobo described Okot as an exciting prospect before the draft. Okot is still a relatively raw prospect — she began playing basketball in 2020 and started her college career at Zetech University in Kenya before playing her junior season (2024-25) at Mississippi State — but has the tools to make an impact in the pros after some more development.
“It means so much to me,” Okot said. “Six years ago, I didn’t see myself being here today, or I never dreamed myself being here today. My dream was to play pro or to play in the W but I didn’t know that it was gonna be after six years. If I could go back, I’ll tell my younger self, [I’m] just so proud of her. She never gave up. She had to go through a lot, and kept moving forward.”
This story was originally published April 13, 2026 at 8:22 PM.
