How Madina Okot is holding her own in WNBA, even vs South Carolina legend A'ja Wilson

Facing the WNBA's only four-time MVP is no easy feat, especially in just your third career game.

But in 16 minutes against the Las Vegas Aces and star A'ja Wilson, Atlanta Dream rookie Madina Okot found success.

The 6-foot-6 center, who spent one year under Dawn Staley at South Carolina, scored a career-high 14 points with 11 rebounds, one block and one assist against Wilson on May 17.

"We're talking about the A'ja Wilson's of the world, (who) will go down as one of the greatest players of all time, and she still had a double-double," said Wilton Jackson II, who covers the Dream and the SEC for The IX. "As she continues to get more playing time, she's going to be a force."

The defending WNBA champion Aces won 85-84 on a jumper from Chelsea Gray with 3.6 seconds left, but Atlanta named Okot player of the game.

“I think everybody can see what Madina is capable of becoming,” Dream coach Karl Smesko said. “I really do think that she’s going to end up being one of the best players in this league. She has that type of ability. She’s still learning but to see what she can do at this point is pretty impressive.”

Atlanta Dream's new center Madina Okot

Okot averaged 13.8 points and an SEC-best 10.6 rebounds in 2025-26 and tried for another year of NCAA eligibility since she had only played two seasons at US colleges after arriving from Kenya. Once that was denied, she shifted gears to the WNBA but with significantly less college time than her peers.

Okot went No. 13 overall in the first round of the WNBA draft.

"Atlanta has been in dire need of a big for a couple of seasons now, really just an interior presence in the post, and they tried to kind of remedy that with Brittney Griner and Brionna Jones, kind of getting that help, however, I still felt like they needed some depth," said USA TODAY Sports senior WNBA reporter Meghan L. Hall. "Madina fit Smesko's system almost like a hand in glove."

The Dream led the league in rebounding in Smesko's first season last year. He likes a player who uses "footwork to navigate through traffic" and for his bigs to have a 3-point shot, Hall said.

Okot checked those boxes, as she shot 44.8% from behind the arc in college.

Right before the draft, former LSU star Angel Reese, a 6-4 forward, was traded to the Dream. Okot contributes but isn't carrying the backcourt pressure in Year 1.

How can Madina Okot maintain success?

What's allowed Okot to average 7.3 points and 6.7 rebounds is somewhat due to Jones' absence. The 6-3 forward had knee surgery in April and her timeline for returning is still unknown.

So when Jones does return or as the season progresses, there's a question of how Okot continues to carve out time off the bench.

"There's still a need for centers to be centers," ESPN women's basketball writer Michael Voepel said. "(Rebounding) is a big part of the Dream's game, so you got Angel Reese, who's the best rebounder in the WNBA, but I think Madina, that's a big thing that she can bring."

Midway through South Carolina's season, Staley took Okot out of the starting lineup to take the "pressure off her." Her footwork and rim production improved, but at times through March Madness and especially in the national championship loss (3-of-9 for six points, three rebounds vs UCLA), Okot struggled.

There were questions about what version of Okot would show up in the WNBA.

"She completely bodied A'ja Wilson with no problem," Hall said. "She looked really calm, really poised in what was very much a high-pressure environment. .. It's a good preview of what's to come for her."

Lulu Kesin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: How Madina Okot of South Carolina is doing for Atlanta Dream in WNBA