The Atlanta Dream closing out their season with back-to-back wins over the New York Liberty and securing the fourth seed weren’t the only cause for celebration for one of its Kenyan rookies. That’s because on Wednesday Kenyan President William Ruto and First Lady Rachel Ruto were present in the arena to support the 22-year-old teammate of Angel Reese.

President Ruto was in New York City to attend the United Nations General Assembly this week. With Okot playing against the Liberty, Ruto wanted to see her in action. He watched the game with his wife, alongside NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatu and members of NBA Africa.

The Kenyan president even posted on his X handle the moment he and the First Lady met Okot after the Dream’s dominant 83-65 victory over the hosts, their final game of the regular season.

The clip showed Ruto, Rachel, and Okot sharing a hug with the President, before their court-side conversation and finally taking a selfie with the President and the First Lady.

“That was a very good honor, I appreciate him showing up. I’m the only Kenyan over here and it just shows how much he supports sports at home. I hope that this opens up opportunities for other girls. I’m so much blessed to get support from him,” Okot told The Associated Press following the game.

And while meeting the president of your country will always be the spotlight, for Okot, speaking her language, Swahili, was just as memorable a moment on a night the Dream secured their 30th win of the season.

“I got to talk some Swahili today. So happy I spoke Swahili to my President and the First Lady,” Okot happily said after the game.

It was certainly an emotional night for Okot, who has spent the majority of the year away from her home in Mumias, Kenya. Surprisingly, Okot started as a volleyball player back home, not basketball. She initially played at the Bishop Sulumeti High School and later moved to Kaya Tiwi Secondary School in Kwale.

There, she was introduced to basketball in 2020 and soared higher and higher in the sport, joining the Kenya Ports Authority, where she began competing at the national and continental levels as part of one of the country’s leading basketball clubs. Her big break came at the 2021 FIBA Women’s African Cup, emerging as the tournament’s leading rebounder with 12.3 per game.

Okot later took her education and her basketball career to the United States and established herself as a fierce center for Mississippi State. Before getting drafted 13th overall by the Dream, which the Kenyan president also celebrated back in April, Okot was a standout player for the South Carolina Gamecocks under head coach Dawn Staley.

Okot averaged 12.8 points and 10.6 rebounds and was one of the key players for the Gamecocks, who reached the national championship game last season. Okot was ranked third in the NCAA for double-doubles last season, with 22.

Moreover, she set a new school record of 412 rebounds, the most by a senior. Considering the amount of talent that has appeared in the Gamecocks, this is certainly a massive achievement. Okot also earned All-SEC Second Team honors.

Granted, Okot has not translated such stats in her first season with the Dream. She is currently averaging 5.4 points and 3.3 rebounds on 58% shooting from the field. But in the rookie’s defense, she is also averaging less than ten minutes on the hardwood. On Wednesday night, Okot produced two points and two rebounds in three minutes.

Head coach Karl Smesko has preferred the likes of Angel Reese and Brionna Jones at the center position, even though Okot is the more true center.

Regardless, Madina Okot will now enter the playoffs in her first professional season in the WNBA, where she hopes to create more history for herself and make her country prouder than ever before.