Madina Okot’s New Coach Explains How ‘Very Good’ Kenyan Star Can Light Up WNBA

Atlanta Dream head coach Karl Smesko believes Kenyan rookie Madina Okot has yet to realize her full potential on the court, suggesting it's only a matter of time before she adapts to the pace of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA).

The 21-year-old is set to make her regular-season debut this weekend when the Atlanta Dream face the Minnesota Lynx at the Target Center in Minneapolis. This will mark Okot's third appearance in a Dream jersey, following two impressive pre-season performances during the team's training camp.

In her first outing, an 87-78 victory over the Chicago Sky, Okot led her team with a 14-point, 11-rebound double-double. She followed that up with nine points, six rebounds, and two blocks in 21 minutes off the bench against the Washington Mystics.

Reflecting on her pre-season contributions, Smesko expressed his excitement about the young center. "I just think she’s been fantastic so far," he told The State. "She wants to learn. She wants to get better. So we’re really excited. We think that she’s going to be able to make positive contributions this year."

Smesko also highlighted Okot's competitive spirit in practice. "She’s one of the youngest college players in the draft class this year, and she’s come in at practice, and she’s just competed every day, and she looks great," he added.

Selected as the 13th overall pick in the WNBA Draft, Okot is expected to face challenges, but her coach is confident she will rise to the occasion.

"Honestly, I don’t think she even realizes how good she is," Smesko said. "Once she realizes how good she is, and then just understands some different situations that happen in the [WNBA] over and over again... she’ll be able to understand when she has a post-up advantage, when she can just bury somebody deep, or when she needs to come out a little bit and set a screen."

Smesko, who leads a team featuring established stars like All-WNBA guard Allisha Gray and prominent rookie Angel Reese, is also counting on his young players to develop and contribute. "There’s an awful lot of young talent there, so they just need to be developed," he said of his roster, which also includes 23-year-old Te-Hina Paopao.

"We’re excited about how they’re going to be able to help us this year, and their futures are really off the charts," Smesko concluded.