BASKETBALL
Frank Rotich 5 hrs ago

Okot impresses on WNBA debut as Atlanta Dream complete stunning comeback

Madina Okot in action. [Courtesy Madina Okot]

Kenyan basketball star Madina Okot made a strong start to her WNBA career after scoring eight points in her debut for the Atlanta Dream during a dramatic 91-90 victory over the Minnesota Lynx on Saturday.

The 20-year-old center came off the bench and impressed in her 10 minutes on court, adding four rebounds and one steal in an exciting match played at the Target Center.

Atlanta Dream produced a huge comeback after trailing by 19 points at halftime. Their winning moment came in the final seconds when guard Te-Hina Paopao scored a late jumper with only 11 seconds remaining to hand the visitors their first lead of the game.

Atlanta also defended strongly in the closing moments, with debutant Angel Reese making an important block to stop Minnesota from scoring the winning basket.

Allisha Gray led Atlanta with 24 points, while Rhyne Howard and Naz Hillmon each added 15 points. Reese also had an impressive debut, finishing with a double-double of 11 points and 14 rebounds.

Okot’s appearance marked another historic moment for Kenyan basketball. The former Kenya Ports Authority player became the first Kenyan-born player to be drafted into the WNBA after being selected 45th overall by Atlanta Dream.

Before joining the WNBA, Okot developed her game at the Canarias Basketball Academy in Spain and had already impressed coaches with strong performances during preseason matches.

The Atlanta Dream will return to action on Wednesday when they face the Dallas Wings in Texas as Okot continues her journey on the world’s biggest women’s basketball stage.