South Carolina Center Madina Okot Heads to Atlanta in the First Round of the 2026 WNBA Draft

Apr 5, 2026; Phoenix, AZ, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks center Madina Okot (11) shoots against UCLA Bruins center Lauren Betts (51) in the second half during the National Championship game of the women's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

South Carolina Center Madina Okot Heads to Atlanta in the First Round of the 2026 WNBA Draft

Originally posted on South Carolina Gamecocks on SI
By Alex Joyce | Last updated Apr 13, 2026 9:58 PM ET

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With the 14th pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft, the Atlanta Dream select South Carolina center Madina Okot.Okot becomes the second Gamecock selected in the first round of this year's draft.

Here is ESPN's Charlie Creme on the player the dream are getting.

"A rapidly developing post, Okot showed sizable improvement in her one year at Mississippi State and then took a huge leap at South Carolina. She can contribute right away as a rebounder and shot blocker. A recently added 3-point shot makes Okot even more appealing."

Dream Bound

WELCOME TO ATLANTA ️

With the 13th pick, the Atlanta Dream selects Madina Okot from the University of South Carolina. pic.twitter.com/JRqad7UOur
— Atlanta Dream (@AtlantaDream) April 14, 2026

For a team that lost Brittney Griner in free agency and made a blockbuster trade for Angel Reese last week, Okot can fill a role right away for the Dream.

"Size was noticeably missing on the Dream's roster after Brittney Griner left, but they addressed that with the 6-foot-6 Okot. Her improvement after just two years of college basketball indicates her ceiling remains high. With Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray taking on most of the scoring responsibility and Angel Reese as the chief rebounder, Okot will have time to develop and contribute in smaller ways for a team looking to take the next step in the postseason," Creme adds.

This article first appeared on South Carolina Gamecocks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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