Madina Okot dwarfs Ruto, Rachel, bends low in hilarious courtside hug at WNBA game in New York

Kenyan basketball sensation Madina Okot had to bend low, literally, to hug President William Ruto and First Lady Rachel Ruto in a heartwarming and hilarious courtside encounter.

The First Couple took their seats in Brooklyn to watch Okot in action during the final regular-season game for the Atlanta Dream.

Standing at 6 feet 6 inches, Okot towered so far above the President and First Lady that she had to fold herself down just to embrace them, turning a courtside greeting into one of the most charming photo moments of Ruto's New York trip.

Okot's height isn't just great for hugs, it's her biggest weapon on court.

Playing centre, she operates right where the action is thickest: close to the basket.

Her job is rebounding, shot-blocking, and scoring from short range, using her reach and strength to protect the paint and shut down opponents' inside plays.

On both ends of the floor, she's the kind of player teams build defences around.

Born on August 23, 2004, in Mumias, Okot is the fifth of eight children to Jacquiline Sikuku and Musa Mulah Masai.

What makes her rise even more remarkable? She's only been playing basketball since 2020, a strikingly short journey for someone now sharing a court in America's top professional league.

Her basketball roots trace back to Kaya Tiwi Secondary School, where coach Philip Onyango helped shape her game. Before that, though, she was actually swinging volleyball spikes at Bishop Sulumeti High School.

In January 2023, Okot enrolled at Zetech University, completing a diploma by August 2024. That same month, she made the leap to Mississippi State University to pursue a Business Administration degree, which she's set to complete this August.

Okot's 2024–25 season at Mississippi State was nothing short of electric.

She started all 34 games, averaging 11.3 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 0.7 assists in just 22.6 minutes per game.

Her 64.9% field goal percentage ranked first in the entire SEC and fourth across all of NCAA Division I, elite efficiency by any measure.

She scored in double figures 22 times, cracked the 20-point mark twice, and dropped a season-high 26 points against UMES on December 20.

On the glass, she pulled down 5-plus rebounds in 31 games and 10-plus in 17, finishing as her team's top rebounder and one of its most feared shot-blockers.

Her signature performance came against Vanderbilt, where she exploded for 21 points and 23 rebounds, her first career 20–20 game, and one of 12 double-doubles she racked up that season.

Riding that breakout momentum, Okot transferred to the South Carolina Gamecocks under legendary coach Dawn Staley, anchoring the paint on defence as the team powered through a deep NCAA Tournament run all the way to the Final Four.