President Ruto Attends Atlanta Dream Game to Support Kenyan WNBA Star Madina Okot

Kenyan President William Ruto was a prominent courtside spectator at the Atlanta Dream's game against the Minnesota Lynx on Friday night, taking a moment from his official state visit to the United States to support a fellow national.

President Ruto watched the Dream secure an 81-76 victory. The visit was highlighted by the appearance of Madina Okot, a 6-foot-11 centre from Kenya who had just signed with the Atlanta team the previous day. Madina Okot played for four minutes.

The presidential visit to the WNBA game followed a high-level meeting at the White House earlier in the day, where Ruto and U.S. President Donald Trump discussed a range of topics, including trade, climate change, and artificial intelligence.

The appearance at the Atlanta Dream game added a sporting dimension to Ruto's official visit, with the president taking the opportunity to show his support for one of Kenya's emerging basketball talents.

This was not the first time President Ruto has shown his support for Okot. During a visit to New York for the United Nations General Assembly, he attended another Dream game against the New York Liberty.

"That was a very good honour; I appreciate him showing up," Okot told The Associated Press after that game. "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."

During the New York game, President Ruto, along with his wife Rachel, NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum, and members of NBA Africa, watched from the sidelines. Afterwards, the president and first lady posed for a selfie with Okot on the court.

The meeting also created a memorable moment for Okot, who was able to speak Swahili with President Ruto and the first lady during their interaction.

"I got to talk some Swahili today," a smiling Okot shared. "So happy I spoke Swahili to my president and the first lady."

The moment underscored the connection between Okot and her home country as she begins her professional basketball journey in the United States.

President Ruto had previously celebrated when Okot was selected by the Atlanta Dream with the 13th pick in the WNBA draft in April.

Her selection marked another significant step in her basketball career and placed her among Kenya's athletes making an impact on the international stage.

In the game against New York, she contributed two points and two rebounds to the team's 83-65 win. Her latest appearance for Atlanta came shortly after signing with the team, with Okot playing four minutes against Minnesota.