Madina Okot was selected by the Atlanta Dream with the 13th pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft on Monday night.

In Atlanta, Okot will team up with former Gamecocks Allisha Gray and Te-Hina Paopao. Atlanta lost Brittney Griner in free agency, so the Dream need a big to replace her in the lineup. In coach Karl Smesko’s offensive system, everyone has the green light to shoot, so Okot’s three-point shooting ability should be an asset.

Okot said she met with Atlanta and another team before the draft.

“They talked about my skills, my versatility, and just being able to contribute to the team by rebounding, playing defense, finishing, doing some little things to help the team win,” she said.

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Okot should have strong fan support. Atlanta is the closest WNBA team to Columbia, and the Dream draws a lot of Gamecock fans, including Dawn Staley, who is a season ticket holder.

Okot was the second Gamecock selected on Monday night and became the 24th Gamecock selected in the WNBA Draft.

She was invited to attend the WNBA Draft in New York along with teammates Ta’Niya Latson and Raven Johnson. All were projected to be first-round draft picks. 

Okot averaged 12.8 points, 10.6 rebounds, 1.4 blocks, and 1.0 assists last season. She led the SEC in rebounding and was third in the nation with 22 double-doubles. 

Okot only played one season at South Carolina, with one season at Mississippi State before that. She grew up in Kenya playing volleyball and didn’t start playing basketball until 2020. Okot played two seasons in Kenya while waiting on her visa, and appealed to the NCAA that those seasons shouldn’t have counted toward her eligibility. Her appeal was denied, and she entered the WNBA Draft.

Okot’s inexperience was seen as a bonus by WNBA teams, who believe she is only scratching the surface of her potential.

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“Just being here today, it means so much to me,” Okot said. “Six years ago, I didn’t see myself being here today, or I never dreamed of myself being here today. My dream was to play in the W, but I didn’t know it was going to be after six years. If I (could) go back, I would tell my younger self, (I’m) just so proud of her. She never gave up, had to go through a lot, and kept moving forward.”

The 2026 WNBA Draft is the first draft under the new CBA. Previously, first-round draft picks made about $78,000. Second and third-round picks made less than $70,000.

This year, first-round picks will all make at least $289,133 as rookies, more than last season’s supermax contracts were worth. As the 13th overall pick, Okot is slated to sign a four-year contract worth $1,294,367. It will pay her $289,133 this year and increase each year. 

Twenty-five years ago, publishing and event maven Dale DeSena gathered 20 local restaurateurs under an air-conditioned tent in Phipps Plaza’s parking lot. Each brought samples of their best dishes for attendees to taste with pre-purchased tickets. More than 4,000 people participated, and Taste of Atlanta was born.

The festival has evolved throughout the past two decades, as consumer behaviors shifted and other food festivals were developed, but the core principle remains: to showcase Atlanta restaurants and turn tasters into diners.

“The idea of chef-driven, local restaurants was just starting to come into focus,” DeSena says. “Chefs like Bob Amick and Gerry Klaskala were opening new restaurants. They needed help telling people these spots existed.”

Throughout the years, Taste of Atlanta has traveled across the city, from Lenox Mall to Atlantic Station to Spring Street near Georgia Tech and to Historic Fourth Ward Park. It grew, began featuring live music, and added a stage for cooking demonstrations. “The Food Network revolutionized the popularity of chefs being great entertainment,” DeSena says.

Courtesy of Taste of Atlanta

In 2022, following the Covid-19 pandemic, Taste of Atlanta pivoted to focus on hyper-local events that were all-inclusive, rather than ticket-based. Instead of a single, three-day, family-friendly weekend each year, DeSena and her team began planning four Thursday evening events for the 21-and-up crowd.

“Restaurants didn’t have the staff to attend Friday through Sunday, and they wanted to get more return on their investment by concentrating on their neighborhoods,” she explains. “Now we travel to different neighborhoods rather than having attendees travel across the city to us.”

Now, Taste of Atlanta offers events spaced throughout the year in Midtown, Sandy Springs, Alpharetta, and Buckhead. To celebrate its 25th anniversary, it’ll host a party at the Works on the Westside on April 16 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tickets cost $95 plus fees for general admission and $135 plus fees for VIP.

Look for Hector Santiago from El Super Pan, Pano Karatassos Jr. from Kyma, Giovanni DiPalma from Antico Pizza Napoletana, and Jonathan and Justin Fox from Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q, among others. Mixologist from brands like Don Julio, Grand Marnier, and Aperol will be crafting cocktails. There will be local beer, wine, and live music by Seed & Feed Marching Abominable Band and Bogey and the Viceroy. Plus, attendees will receive complimentary admission to Your Third Spot, as well as a game card.

Courtesy of Taste of Atlanta

“We intentionally partnered with restaurants who have participated over the past 25 years from all over Atlanta. We tried to think about the diversity of the restaurants, which ones are meaningful to the city, or new from the past few years,” DeSena says. “The chefs will all be there to meet and greet. They’re our rock stars. We want to showcase them.”

She waxes poetic about all the city has accomplished food-wise during the last quarter-century. “Atlanta used to be mostly chains. I’m proud so many chefs have opened great restaurants and how many are still in business. We’re all working together to highlight our great culinary city.”

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The NBA playoff matchups in the Eastern Conference are set.

After coming into Sunday as the likely No. 5 seed, the Orlando Magic’s stunning loss to the Boston Celtics paired with the Hawks losing and Raptors winning, means that the Hawks are going to be the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference and will face the New York Knicks in the first round.

These two teams met just last Monday, a thrilling win for the Knicks in the final minute. Here are my first three thoughts about this matchup.

1. The Hawks have to have an answer for Mitchell Robinson

With no new update on Jock Landale, the Hawks are going to have a big question at the backup center position. Assuming Landale is not able to go at least at the start of this series, Mo Gueye is going to have a big role in this series and he will be going against one of the top backup centers and rebounders in the league, Mitchell Robinson.

In nearly 20 minutes in last week’s matchup, Robinson scored eight points and pulled down 12 rebounds. Having Gueye go against him is going to be a big mismatch, as good as Gueye is defensively. Figuring out how to deal with Robinson is going to be key if the Hawks hope to spring the upset.

2. Can this group handle the playoff pressure?

Jalen Johnson, Dyson Daniels, Jonathan Kuminga, and Onyeka Okongwu have varying degrees of playoff experience, but not as starters. CJ McCollum has years of playoff experience, Nickeil Alexander-Walker helped Minnesota make back-to-back Western Conference Finals Appearances, and Gabe Vincent was a key role player for Miami during their runs recently. However, this group has only been playing together for a few months and have not been under the microscope of the posteason.

This Knicks team however was two wins away from the NBA Finals and has a lot of confidence that they can get back there and finish the job. They are a cohesive unit that plays well together and they are going to have a rowdy crowd at Madison Square Garden behind them. Can the Hawks handle the pressure they are about to face?

3. Hawks are capable of an upset

While the Knicks are certainly going to be favorites (deservedly so), I believe this Hawks team is for real and they are not going to be intimidated.

They have Jalen Johnson, who is set to make his first ever All-NBA team, Nickeil Alexander-Walker is the NBA’s front runner for most improved player, and Dyson Daniels is as good of a perimeter defender as there is.

These two teams as they are currently constructed have only played once, so there is not much to go on, but if this series is like that game that was played last Monday in Atlanta, It should be one of, if not the best series in the first round.

Nobody is going to pick the Hawks and the Knicks are an elite team, but don’t discount the Hawks chances.