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Okot erupts to WNBA career-high points as Dream fall to Fire
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Reading Time: 2min | Sun. 12.07.26. | 18:04
The 21-year-old also made her second start in the league, with Angel Reese out with a right-leg injury
Kenyan basketball star Madina Okot scored a career-high 19 points in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) as her Atlanta Dream side fell 102-92 to Portland Fire at The Gateway Center Arena in Georgia in the early hours of Sunday, 12 July.
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Okot, who on the night made her second-ever start in the American professional league, was unstoppable as she bettered her previous high of 18 points against Toronto Tempo on 22 June, to be awarded the team’s player of the night award.
With starting center Angel Reese out with a right leg injury, Okot was slipped into the starting lineup at home, alongside Jordin Canada, Allisha Gray, Rhyne Howard and Naz Hillmon.
The 21-year-old Kenyan would not be fazed at the moment, surging away to score double-digits (10 points) by halftime, before adding seven in the third quarter, and four in the final frame.
To make her exploits more incredible, Okot accomplished the feat while only playing 22 minutes, the least of all the starters.
Of all Dream players involved in the game, only Gray posted a higher points total than Okot, scoring 20.
Also to show her versatility, Okot also racked in a team-high eight rebounds, to go with her phenomenal block in the second half.
On a team note, however, Dream lost their sixth game in seven matches, their latest defeat coming on the back of an important bounce-back game against Seattle Storm on Friday, 10 July.
Speaking after the defeat, Dream head coach Karl Smesko lamented on her team’s persistent low shooting percentage, which has costed them games, despite dominating the board, paint, and second-chances.
“We couldn’t match as well as they were shooting the ball,” Smesko said. “If you're going to be at close to a 30% deficit on threes, you have to work so hard. We're winning possessions by a margin that you would probably win 90-95% of those games, but not if your effective field goal percentage is going to be what ours is.”
Atlanta, whose record now stands at 13-10, next host Los Angeles Sparks on Tuesday, 14 July.
