Tasmania Jewels announced on Wednesday morning that they had completed their roster - and it is one of their most exciting signings yet.
21-year-old Kenyan Madina Okot of the Atlanta Dream has agreed to make the long trip to Tasmania off the back of a 28-game season with the WNBA franchise as she continues her incredible rise as a professional basketballer.
Okot, who measures 1.98m tall with a wingspan of 2.08m, took up the sport as a high schooler only six years ago, having previously had no knowledge of basketball whatsoever let alone a family history or support network to help propel her into the professional ranks.
Perhaps most excitingly for the WNBL, Okot possesses a running jump that can exceed the rim height, which has led her new head coach Claudia Brassard to declare her as "a real shot of being the first person to dunk in WNBL history".
"It’s beyond time for that to change," Brassard said after nearly 50 years of WNBL competition without a single dunk - even despite the league offering a $10,000 cash prize in the 1990s for the history-making feat.
203cm Sydney Uni Flames import Jen Hamson was tipped to break the drought in 2017/18, having been a regular dunker in training, but spurned a couple of opportunities to do so in-game.
Brassard said her side is "all about breaking barriers, setting new standards, and leading the way, and Okot will be a big part of that.”
Okot averaged nine minutes, six points and nearly four rebounds per game for the Atlanta Dream earlier this year, taking on the competition's biggest stars from A'ja Wilson to Caitlin Clark.
She credited Australian Dream teammate Isobel Borlase for talking her into a Zoom call with Brassard and the coaching team, which ultimately got the deal over the line.
“I like the team’s culture, I like how you they take good care of players and I just can’t wait to meet you all," Okot said.
Atlanta Dream coach Karl Smesko said just last month that Okot has "All-Star and above" potential in the WNBA after a clutch performance in a 93-91 win over Chicago Sky, during which Okot scored ten fourth-quarter points to step up for injured key player Angel Reese.
"She was there in clutch time, and not only was she there in clutch time, but she performed at a high level during those minutes,” Smesko said after the match.
The Jewels will open the 2026/27 WNBL season on October 15 when they host Geelong Venom at MyState Bank Arena in Hobart, whilst their first game at the Launceston Silverdome is on October 31 against Sydney Flames.
Aaron Murphy has been with Flashscore since 2018 and, as the founding editor of the Australian newsdesk, has reported on-site at several major events in Melbourne including the Australian Open, State of Origin, A-League, NBL and international cricket. You can read his pieces here and contact him on X or LinkedIn.
