President William Ruto and First Lady Rachel Ruto took time away from the United Nations General Assembly in New York to support Kenyan-born basketball player Madina Okot during her WNBA game on Wednesday.
The First Couple watched from courtside at Barclays Center in Brooklyn as Okot’s Atlanta Dream faced New York Liberty.
The visit created a special moment for Okot, who is in her first season in the WNBA after being selected 13th overall by Atlanta in the 2026 draft.
Atlanta went on to beat New York 83–65, with Okot coming off the bench for 2:16 and finishing with one rebound.
Okot calls Ruto’s appearance an honour
After the game, Okot said she appreciated the President making time to watch her play.
“That was a very good honour, I appreciate him showing up,” she told the Associated Press.
The 23-year-old player said being the only Kenyan in the league made Ruto’s presence particularly meaningful.
“I’m the only Kenyan over here and it just shows how much he supports sports at home,” Okot said.
She also expressed hope that the support would have a wider impact on young athletes back home.
“I hope that this opens up opportunities for other girls. I’m so much blessed to get support from him,” she said.
A Kenyan moment in Brooklyn
Ruto attended the game with First Lady Rachel, NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum and members of NBA Africa.
The President later took a selfie with Rachel and Okot after meeting her courtside, creating one of the memorable moments of his New York visit.
Okot also revealed that the meeting gave her an opportunity to speak Swahili with the President and First Lady.
“I got to talk some Swahili today,” she said with a smile. “So happy I spoke Swahili to my president and the first lady.”
From Kenyan talent to the WNBA
Okot’s appearance comes during her debut campaign with Atlanta Dream after she made history by being selected in the first round of the 2026 WNBA Draft.
Her selection at No. 13 put a Kenyan-born player on one of the biggest stages in women’s professional basketball.
Ruto had also publicly celebrated her selection when Atlanta picked her in April.
Her WNBA journey has since attracted attention in Kenya, particularly among young basketball players looking for opportunities beyond the country.
For Okot, however, the significance of having Kenya’s First Couple courtside went beyond one game.
She said the support could help create opportunities for more Kenyan girls who want to pursue sport professionally.
As Ruto continues his UNGA engagements in New York, the appearance at Barclays Center offered a different but equally visible side of Kenya’s presence in the United States — celebrating a young Kenyan-born athlete competing at the highest level of women’s basketball.
