Kenyan President William Ruto attended a WNBA match at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, watching from courtside as his compatriot Madina Okot's Atlanta Dream beat the New York Liberty 83-65. Sitting alongside NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum and representatives from NBA Africa, Ruto saw the victory lift Atlanta's regular-season record to 31-13, sealing fourth place and home-court advantage for the opening round of the playoffs.
After the game, the President and First Lady Rachel Ruto stepped onto the court and posed for a selfie with the 22-year-old centre, conversing with her in Swahili.
Allisha Gray led the Dream with 24 points and Naz Hillmon added 16 as Atlanta overcame an early first-quarter deficit. Atlanta star forward Angel Reese left the court in the second quarter after a flagrant foul from New York's Sabrina Ionescu. Okot, who joined the Dream earlier in the year, featured for just over two minutes in the final quarter, contributing two points and two rebounds.
Born in Mumias, Kakamega County, Okot took up competitive basketball in 2020 at Kaya Tiwi Secondary School on Kenya's coast. The 6-foot-6 centre represented Kenya on the national 3x3 Under-23 team by age 17, earned a college scholarship in the United States and played for Mississippi State before transferring to the University of South Carolina. In April 2026, the Atlanta Dream selected her 13th overall in the second round of the WNBA Draft, making her the highest Kenyan woman ever drafted into the league.
Ruto's visit followed earlier meetings with Tatum and NBA Africa Chief Executive Officer Clare Akamanzi on plans for a multi-purpose indoor arena in Nairobi's Railway City and four proposed "Presidential Courts" around the country.
