Madina Okots WNBA journey proves resilience still defines basketballs biggest stage originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.For Madina Okot, draft night wasnt just about hearing her name called. It was about everything that almost stopped that moment from ever happening. Before she became a first-round pick of the Atlanta Dream, before she emerged as one of the most intriguing international prospects in the 2026 class, Okot was fighting a different battle entirely. One that had nothing to do with rebounds, footwork, or defensive positioning.She was trying to get into the United States. And for a long time, it felt like that door would never open.The setbacks that nearly ended everythingOkots story begins far from the bright lights of the WNBA Draft. Growing up in Mumias, Kenya, she didnt even start with basketball. Volleyball was her first sport, and basketball only entered her life around 2020. That timeline alone makes her rise remarkable. But the real challenge came when her talent started attracting attention from U.S. college programs.Her path stalled at the border.Okot was denied a U.S. visa four separate times. Each rejection carried more weight than the last, turning what should have been a breakthrough opportunity into a test of endurance. She admitted the process nearly broke her. The repeated setbacks led to moments of doubt, frustration, and emotional exhaustion. At one point, she seriously considered giving up on the dream altogether.More:Caitlin Clark effect hits new level as Fever land full national TV slateThe moment everything changedThen came the breakthrough. On her fifth attempt, Okot finally secured her visa. Fittingly, it happened on her birthday, turning what had been years of disappointment into a life-changing turning point. From there, everything accelerated.She joined the State Bulldogs where she immediately made an impact, then elevated her game further after transferring to South Carolina. By the 202526 season, she wasnt just contributing. She was dominating the glass, leading her conference in rebounding and helping power South Carolina to a national championship appearance.All of it came less than a decade after she first picked up a basketball.From overlooked prospect to first-round pickThat rapid rise culminated in one of the defining moments of the 2026 draft. Selected 13th overall, Okot became the highest-drafted Kenyan player in WNBA history. At 6-foot-6, she brings size, defensive presence, and a developing offensive game that fits the modern frontcourt.But what makes her stand out goes beyond measurables. Her game is built on effort, physicality, and adaptability, traits forged through a journey that demanded persistence at every step. She now joins a Dream roster that includes established talent like Angel Reese, giving her an immediate opportunity to learn at the highest level.A bigger meaning behind the momentOkots arrival in the WNBA isnt just personal. It carries broader significance. She represents a growing pipeline of African talent entering the global basketball stage, and her story resonates in places where access to resources and visibility remains limited.Her message has been consistent. You dont need perfect conditions to start. You need belief and persistence. That perspective comes from lived experience. From being unsure about trying basketball, to facing repeated rejection, to finally standing on a draft stage holding a WNBA jersey, Okots journey reflects what the sport still promises at its core.The next chapter starts nowThe challenges wont disappear at the professional level. The WNBA presents a different speed, physicality, and expectation. Okot understands that. But if her path to this point is any indication, shes already proven she can handle the difficult parts. Because for Madina Okot, the hardest part wasnt making the league.It was refusing to let the dream end before she ever got the chance.More WNBA news:Caitlin Clark effect hits new level as Fever land full national TV slateSophie Cunningham situation takes turn as Fever GM declines to clarify contract decisionAja Wilsons record contract still feels too small: 5 reasons Aces star remains underpaid

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Mark Vientos blooped a tiebreaking single in the eighth inning and the New York Mets snapped their 12-game losing streak Wednesday night, beating the Minnesota Twins 3-2 after getting one superstar back only to see another exit with a similar injury. Juan Soto went 1 for 3 with a single and a walk in his return from a strained right calf, but shortstop Francisco Lindor was removed with left calf tightness after laboring around the bases while scoring from first on Francisco Alvarez's go-ahead double in the fourth. Byron Buxton tied it 2-all with a leadoff homer in the sixth against Clay Holmes, his second longball in two nights. Brett Baty, who came off the bench to replace Lindor in the lineup, drew his second walk of the game with two outs in the eighth against Taylor Rogers (0-1). Alvarez coaxed a nine-pitch walk from Justin Topa before Vientos dumped an RBI single into shallow right field. Vientos had blatantly ran through a stop sign rounding third and was easily thrown out at home plate for the final out of the sixth. Luke Weaver (2-0) retired Luke Keaschall with the bases loaded to end the top of the eighth and struck out three batters in a one-hit ninth to secure New York's first victory since April 7 at home against Arizona. The 12-game skid was the team's longest since August 2002. Connor Prielipp, the Twins' top pitching prospect, needed 82 pitches to get through four innings in his major league debut. But the 25-year-old left-hander showcased a good slider and limited a slumping New York lineup to two runs and four hits with six strikeouts and no walks. Holmes allowed two runs and five hits in seven innings. Batting cleanup, Lindor drove in a run by legging out an infield single with two outs in the first and Victor Caratini's sacrifice fly tied the score in the fourth. Reporting by the Associated Press.

Mohsin Khan not only bowled a maiden over to the 15-year-old but also capped it off by dismissing him on the final ball.

Pittsburgh's succession plan at QB may not be a foregone conclusion, after all

Cruz Azul will begin the Liguilla, Liga MX's playoffs, the first week of May, but it will do so without Nicolas Larcamon.The club fired the Argentine manager on April 22 after a 1-1 draw against Queretaro the night before extended La Maquina's winless run to nine matches in a row across all competitions."While we recognize this could be a controversial decision because of the time in the season, after a good period of deep and objective analysis (far from the versions given in some portions of the media) were convinced that this is the chance to intervene ahead of the Liguilla and try to change the trend and in that way take care of the sporting project," read a portion of the club's statement.It's a stark reversal from what Larcamon was able to achieve earlier in the year. Before the nine-game skid started, Cruz Azul was unbeaten in 15 contests dating back to mid-January. Why did Cruz Azul fire Nicolas Larcamon?But despite those positive results, Larcamon never became beloved with the Cruz Azul fan base. He also clashed with ownership about the unenviable situation of having to play in Puebla - typically a two-hour drive from the club's headquarters in Mexico City - while renovations on the Estadio Azteca were completed ahead of the World Cup.A draw with Pumas on March 14 seemed to derail La Maquina. The low point likely was a 3-0 loss to LAFC in the first leg of a Concacaf Champions Cup series. The reigning champion of the continental competition, Cruz Azul couldn't find a way back in the second leg, drawing 1-1 and bowing out of the competition after a 4-1 aggregate defeat. Larcamon also struggled in international play in FIFA's Intercontinental Cup, where Cruz Azul fell 2-1 to Flamengo and became the first Concacaf team to fall in the Derby of the Americas match.Larcamon leaves with a record of 24 wins, 7 defeats and 16 draws.Who will replace Nicolas Larcamon as Cruz Azul manager?Former Cruz Azul defender Joel Huiqui, a cult hero of Mexican soccer who was leading the club's U-21 side, will take over as the interim ahead of Sunday's game with Necaxa and the postseason.Many of the club's past managers might be candidates the team's fan base would like to see return. Martn Anselmi had an ugly exit, but after struggling with Porto and Botafogo might consider a return to the club. So, too, would Juan Reynoso, a former Cruz Azul player who managed the team to its last league title before an unsuccessful spell coaching the national team of his native Peru.Vicente Sanchez, the coach who led Cruz Azul to the CCC title after Anselmi's departure - promoted to the first team in a similar way to Huiqui, is unlikely to arrive. He still is employed with Emelec in Ecuador and never gelled with Cruz Azul sporting director Ivan Alonso.One of Mexico's four "grandes," the club's that historically have won the most trophies and have the most support, Cruz Azul's 2021 title snapped an infamous streak of 24 years without a domestic championship. The 2021 triumph remains their last trophy in Mexico, though it already has booked its place to the 2029 Club World Cup thanks to its 2025 CCC win.This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cruz Azul fires Nicolas Larcamon, names cult hero Joel Huiqui interim

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