NAIROBI: Dubbed one of the best Women’s National Basketball players, Kenyan star Madina Okot breaks the silence on how she cried after waiting for a visa in the United States.
She also shared how she patiently waited for her name to be called at the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) draft in New York.
Speaking to the BBC, the 21-year-old admitted she felt nervous as she recalled those moments from two weeks ago. “I was so nervous. When I heard my name, it was like a dream. Am I here? Am I really doing this?”
The Atlanta Dream selected Okot in the first round, 13th overall. She became the third basketball player from Kenya ever picked in the WNBA draft, and the nation’s highest pick to date.
Even more impressive, Okot joined the world’s top professional league just six years after picking up a basketball for the first time.
Standing 6ft 6in tall, Okot continues to earn rave reviews. Pundits describe her game as a unique mix of physicality, tenacity, and versatility. She stands out as both an efficient scorer and a solid defensive anchor.
Okot’s Battle for a US Visa
The East African WNBA star initially caught the attention of many fans after impressing for the South Carolina Gamecocks this term. She helped the side to the national championship final.
Looking at her history as a player, Okot’s journey started away from the spotlight as the fifth of eight children in her hometown of Mumias in western Kenya.
The lanky WNBA star initially excelled in volleyball at Bishop Sulumeti High School in Kakamega County before being persuaded to move across the country in 2020 to join Kaya Tiwi Secondary, a school on the east coast near Mombasa, which has produced some of Kenyan basketball’s biggest names.
“I was almost scared to try basketball,” she reflected. “But when I started playing, I fell in love with the game so quickly. It was tough. I felt like giving up several times. “The second, third and fourth ones I cried so hard. I had a security guard take me to my taxi. I felt so bad.”
As an uncut diamond, raw talent propelled her through Kenya’s national youth teams and caught the attention of college sides in the United States after she featured in the 3×3 basketball tournament at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
However, getting into the USA tested her resilience, as Okot faced no fewer than four visa rejections in her bids to join Troy University in Alabama and then Eastern Michigan University.
Amid those setbacks, she was relieved in August 2024, a day she marked for celebration. “The day that I got my visa was my birthday,” she continued. “That was the best birthday gift I’ve ever got. I’m so grateful to my mum and my dad and everybody else who kept convincing me to keep trying.”
Madina Okot’s Journey Coming To Fruition
The Kenyan star believes she is an introvert and revealed her admiration for pink and white colours, gospel music and ugali, a traditional East African food made from cornflour.
“I’m so excited to meet the players that I’ve been watching growing up. But I still can’t believe that it’s me doing this,” she revealed in disbelief. “I’m just excited to work with them, learn so much and create memories.”
Her rise to prominence has come at a time when women’s sport is growing, but access and resources remain uneven compared to their male counterparts, especially in the African continent.
“You don’t have to have perfect facilities to start. Just stay locked in and don’t stop chasing your dreams,” concluded Okot.
“I just want to be a kind of player that young girls will be looking at and be like, ‘I want to be like Madina’. There’s always somebody watching. That is how people get opportunities.”
As things stand, Okot’s first professional campaign gets underway on May 08 and will play alongside decorated stars such as two-time WNBA All-Star Angel Reese, who is also part of the Atlanta Dream camp.
