Kenyan President William Ruto attended the WNBA game between the Atlanta Dream and New York Liberty at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, on September 23, 2026, showing his support for Kenyan rookie Madina Okot. Ruto, who is in the United States for the 81st United Nations General Assembly, shared photos from the stands, including a selfie with Okot in her Atlanta Dream jersey and another of himself holding a basketball at the venue.
Okot, a 6'6" centre from Mumias, was selected 13th overall by the Atlanta Dream in the 2026 WNBA Draft, becoming the highest-drafted Kenyan player in league history. The 24-year-old began playing basketball in 2020 and later featured for Mississippi State and South Carolina in U.S. college basketball. Wearing jersey No. 11, she made a brief appearance off the bench in the finale, playing about three minutes and finishing with two points on one-of-one shooting, two rebounds and two fouls.
On the night, the Atlanta Dream defeated the New York Liberty 83-65. Atlanta outscored New York 23-7 in the second quarter to seize control, with Allisha Gray leading the Dream with 24 points and Naz Hillmon adding 16. The victory secured Atlanta the No. 4 seed in the WNBA playoffs, while New York finished as the No. 8 seed.
Okot has featured regularly during her rookie campaign, averaging about 5.5 points and 3.4 rebounds in roughly nine minutes per game. Her appearance at the Barclays Center drew national attention as she continues to emerge among Kenya's prominent basketball talents on the international stage.
