Madina Okot nears historic WNBA title with Atlanta Dream

Kenyan basketball player Madina Okot is poised to become the first Kenyan to win a WNBA championship. Her team, the Atlanta Dream, forced a decisive Game 7 in the finals after defeating the Golden State Valkyries 80-69 on Thursday, October 29, 2026.

The victory leveled the best-of-seven series at 3-3. The championship will be decided on Saturday, October 31, 2026, at the Chase Center in San Francisco. This marks the first time the WNBA has reached a Game 7 under its current best-of-seven format.

Okot, a 6-foot-6 centre, was selected 13th overall in the 2026 WNBA Draft, the highest draft position for a Kenyan player. Her career path included playing volleyball in Kenya before transitioning to basketball and eventually securing a US college scholarship. In the recent Game 6, Allisha Gray led the Dream with 23 points, while Rhyne Howard and Angel Reese also contributed significantly to the win.