Madina Okot was selected in the first round, 13th overall, by the Atlanta Dream, making her the third Kenyan chosen in the WNBA draft and the highest pick ever from her country. According to BBC Sport, Madina Okot described feeling nervous and like it was a dream when she heard her name. Azzi Fudd was selected by the Dallas Wings with the first overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft.
Madina Okot joined the WNBA just six years after touching a basketball for the first time. She faced four visa rejections before successfully obtaining a visa to study in the USA, with the exact reasons for the rejections not publicly disclosed. According to BBC Sport, Madina Okot described the process as tough and that she felt like giving up several times, crying hard after the second, third, and fourth rejections. She got her visa on her birthday in August 2024, which she called her best birthday gift ever, and she played for Mississippi State in 2024-25 before transferring to the University of South Carolina in April last year.
I was so nervous.
Madina Okot led her conference in rebounds this season, averaging 10.6 per game, though her full statistical performance in other areas is not detailed. She was instrumental in South Carolina's run to the national championship final earlier this month, where they lost 79-51 to UCLA. Azzi Fudd won a national title with UConn in 2025 and earned the Most Outstanding Player award for that tournament.
Azzi Fudd and Paige Bueckers are now teammates on the Dallas Wings, reuniting after playing together at UConn. They are believed to be in a romantic relationship, with Bueckers hinting at it in interviews in summer 2025, but the current status or confirmation of this alleged relationship is unknown. The specific date in April 2026 when the WNBA draft occurred and the exact terms of Azzi Fudd's contract with the Dallas Wings have not been disclosed.
When I heard my name, it was like a dream. Am I here? Am I really doing this?
I was almost scared to try basketball.
But when I started playing I fell in love with the game so quickly.
It was tough. I felt like giving up several times.
The second, third and fourth one I cried so hard.
I had a security guard taking me to my [taxi]. I felt so bad.
The day that I got my visa was my birthday.
That was my best birthday gift I've ever got.
I'm so grateful to my mum and my dad and everybody else that kept convincing me to keep trying.