ARLINGTON, Texas \u2013 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think she\u2019s a tremendous talent. There\u2019s still a lot of things she\u2019s learning, and having to do it against the best players in the world is not the easiest ask of somebody who\u2019s only been playing five or six years, but the talent is there to be a great, to be an all-star level player,\u201d Smesko said on July 28.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Understandably, the affable ex-Bulldog couldn\u2019t be happier with the strong start to her career in the WNBA.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been great,\u201d Okot said. \u201cI\u2019ve 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
But despite that being her lone season at MSU, she retains nothing but fond memories of her time as a Bulldog.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was great. It was such a great experience, my first year of college. I really loved it,\u201d Okot said. \u201cIt was a great part of my life and a good part of my basketball journey.\u201d<\/p>\n
And despite playing for a talented, veteran team in Atlanta, Okot has found ways to stand out and impress her new coach.<\/p>\n
\u201cDeep post-ups right now is what she does for us, but she\u2019s going to be somebody who can play all over the floor eventually,\u201d Smesko said.<\/p>\n
Smesko admits nothing about Okot\u2019s rookie season thus far has surprised him. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe were pretty excited when we drafted her,\u201d he said. \u201cWe were really hoping we would be lucky enough to get the opportunity to have her on our roster.\u201d <\/p>\n
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.\u00a0<\/p>\n
However, Okot admits she\u2019s not had any rookie responsibilities, something she\u2019s not complaining about.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo (no rookie duties). I just love it here,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Stephen Hunt is a freelance writer based in Frisco, Texas.<\/p>\n
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