Ex-Bulldog Madina Okot rolling with positive vibes in Atlanta

ARLINGTON, Texas – Madina Okot is 27 games into her WNBA career, but the Kenyan-born center, who played one season at Mississippi State, already has made a big believer out of her new head coach with Atlanta, Karl Smesko.

“I think she’s a tremendous talent. There’s still a lot of things she’s learning, and having to do it against the best players in the world is not the easiest ask of somebody who’s only been playing five or six years, but the talent is there to be a great, to be an all-star level player,” Smesko said on July 28.

Okot, 21, was the 13th pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft after a sophomore season at South Carolina where she averaged a double-double with 12.8 points and 10.6 rebounds in 39 games. Thus far with the Dream, she is averaging 6.2 points and 3.7 rebounds per game.

Understandably, the affable ex-Bulldog couldn’t be happier with the strong start to her career in the WNBA.

“It’s been great,” Okot said. “I’ve learned so much and I love it. I love it (playing for coach Smesko). Everything is fun here. Everyone is so loving. I like the chemistry, the interactions, and just love being here.”

At State in 2024-25, she averaged 11.3 points and 9.6 rebounds in 34 games in what proved to be her lone season in Starkville. After the season, she surprised some by entering the transfer portal and transferring across the SEC to South Carolina.

But despite that being her lone season at MSU, she retains nothing but fond memories of her time as a Bulldog.

“It was great. It was such a great experience, my first year of college. I really loved it,” Okot said. “It was a great part of my life and a good part of my basketball journey.”

And despite playing for a talented, veteran team in Atlanta, Okot has found ways to stand out and impress her new coach.

“Deep post-ups right now is what she does for us, but she’s going to be somebody who can play all over the floor eventually,” Smesko said.

Smesko admits nothing about Okot’s rookie season thus far has surprised him.

“We were pretty excited when we drafted her,” he said. “We were really hoping we would be lucky enough to get the opportunity to have her on our roster.”

No matter the sport, rookies are expected to be sponges in Year 1 as professionals, absorbing every possible iota of information from teammates and coaches, and Okot has excelled at that. In some sports, part of being a rookie is enduring rookie rites of passage, simple tasks like carrying bags, picking up towels or getting meals for teammates, ways to pay their dues for reaching the professional ranks. 

However, Okot admits she’s not had any rookie responsibilities, something she’s not complaining about.

“No (no rookie duties). I just love it here,” she said.

Stephen Hunt is a freelance writer based in Frisco, Texas.

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