![\"Madina](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/b5b3903c1997c1cb.jpeg\" "\\"Madina")
Madina Okot is Kenya\u2019s first WNBA first-round pick. Photo: NTV Kenya\/WNBA.
Source: Facebook<\/p>\n
Madina was selected by the Atlanta Dream<\/a> in the first round of the 2026 Women\u2019s National Basketball Association (WNBA) Draft on Monday, April 20.<\/p>\n Her selection officially made her the third Kenyan to play in the WNBA, but also the first Kenyan ever to be drafted in the first round, a historic achievement and major milestone.<\/p>\n She was the 13th overall pick, within the first available 15 slots in the event held at The Shed at Hudson Yards in New York City.<\/p>\n Read also<\/p>\n Helen Nakimuli: Heartbreaking moment as late MP\u2019s daughter arrives at mortuary to view body<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Search option is now available at TUKO! Feel free to search the content on topics\/people you enjoy reading about in the top right corner \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n What did Madina Okot\u2019s family say after WNBA move?<\/p>\n Speaking to the press at their humble home in Mumias, Madina\u2019s father, Masayi Musa, narrated his daughter\u2019s journey in sport<\/a> since she was a young girl.<\/p>\n He noted that she initially began playing netball, something he did not fully support at the time as he wanted her to focus on her studies.<\/p>\n However, the now basketball star did not back down, as she continued to nurture her talent, not knowing the whole world would one day see and recognise it.<\/p>\n Musa said he was also a sportsman, but he was unable to pursue his dreams due to a lack of resources and limited parental support.<\/p>\n \u201cMy father asked me to stop playing, and that\u2019s how I met Madina\u2019s mother later and settled down. I am proud because my dreams have been achieved through Madina, and I feel fulfilled because even the government has recognised my daughter\u2019s talent,\u201d he said. Read also<\/p>\n Actress Nadia Fares Dies after Week-Long Coma, Family Confirms<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n At home, Musa displays all the trophies his daughter has earned throughout her sporting career, a constant reminder of her talent, hard work and perseverance.<\/p>\n The basketball star\u2019s younger sister, Sheila Nafula, said Madina is her role model and she hopes to one day follow in her footsteps.<\/p>\n \u201cI pray that one day I will be like her and that the whole world will know me just like Madina,\u201d said Nafula.<\/p>\n Musa advised fellow parents to allow their children to pursue and nurture their talents, but also urged young people to balance sport with their education.<\/p>\n To him, success and opportunity can come from either path, adding that no one should be limited in the pursuit of their dreams.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Subscribe to watch new videosHow much will Madina Okot earn at Atlanta Dream?<\/p>\n TUKO.co.ke also reported that Madina Okot will benefit from the recently introduced new wage structure in the WNBA following her selection in the draft.<\/p>\n Under the new deal, Okot will earn a base salary<\/a> (without bonuses) of $289,133 (KSh 37.4 million) in her first year, and this will increase to $373,768 (KSh 43.8 million) in her fourth year.<\/p>\n Read also<\/p>\n Uganda: Philanthropist offers to take young girl pictured riding bike in rain to boarding school<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n This is a significant improvement compared to previous years. In 2024, the first overall pick, Caitlin Clark, earned $76,335 (KSh 9.8 million).<\/p>\n Source: TUKO.co.ke<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Madina Okot made history as the first Kenyan ever selected in the WNBA first round after being picked…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":599167,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[73],"tags":[99,434],"class_list":["post-599166","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-wnba","tag-sports","tag-wnba"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/599166","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=599166"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/599166\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/599167"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=599166"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=599166"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=599166"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/43b7d830c8f3cf74.jpeg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Madina](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/3e0394382e9e2abf.jpeg\" "\\"Madina")
Madina Okot officially joined the Atlanta Dream after her selection in the 2026 draft. Photo: WNBA.
Source: Twitter<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/198d89895b056556.jpeg\")
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