Madina Okot was overcome with emotion after watching a surprise video message from her former coach, a moment that has since gone viral and sparked widespread praise online.
In the clip, the 21-year-old 6’6 Mumias native is visibly stunned when she opens her computer and a video from her former coach appears, filled with congratulatory remarks.
“Hello big baby, this is Coach Obi, I am proud of you girl, congratulations for all these, congratulations for your draft, congratulations for playing the final four,” the coach said.
“You dreamed about this, and you put in work, this is just the beginning of good things, keep going, we are very proud of you and we will always, always have your back, congratulations, keep going”, he added.
Madina Okot gets emotional listening to encouraging words from her former coach ? pic.twitter.com/2iA9kMl9bM
— WNBA (@WNBA) April 14, 2026
Overwhelmed, Okot buries her face in her hands before thanking him tearfully. “It means so much to me that they have been with me throughout the journey, and they appreciate me back home; they really know what I have been through”.
Online, many reacted overwhelmingly to the news.
@ochienggachie commented, “Our very own Madina Okot. We are proud of you as Kenyans”, while @Matthew Nyasura added, “Didn’t know Coach Obi mentored her too, Kenya to the world”.
Just days before the draft, her future was uncertain after the NCAA denied her an extra year of eligibility, forcing her to declare after only two seasons in the United States.
What initially looked like a setback ultimately turned into a breakthrough moment.
From playing 3-on-3 basketball for Kenya at 17, to representing Zetech University, then making the leap to U.S. college basketball, Okot’s journey has been nothing short of inspiring.
