Center Madina Okot Chooses South Carolina
COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina head women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley announced that Madina Okot will join the Gamecocks as a transfer from Mississippi State for the 2025-26 academic year.
“Madina gives our frontcourt additional size and speed,” Staley said. “She has the ability to score, rebound and defend, and her competitiveness and SEC experience are added bonuses. We’re excited to bring her to our Gamecock family, and I know the FAMS are going to love watching her play.”
A 6-foot-6 center from Mumias, Kenya, Okot averaged 11.3 points and a team-high 9.6 rebounds for Mississippi State last season. Her season rebounding average ranked fourth in the SEC, and that number rose to 10.1 per SEC game. Okot’s scoring came on an SEC-best 64.9 percent shooting, which ranked fourth in the nation. She scored in double figures 22 times in 34 games, including a pair of 20-point outings. Okot finished the season with 12 double-doubles and was 10th in the SEC with 1.12 blocks per game.
Prior to entering the NCAA, Okot enjoyed a rich international career, playing for Zetech University in Nairobi, the FIBA Africa Women’s Basketball League (AWBL) and for the Kenya FIBA 3×3 Senior Team. As part of the FIBA AWBL in 2022-23, she averaged 10.9 points and 9.3 rebounds over four different competitions. As part of the Kenya Port Authority (KPA) team in 2023, she averaged 14.0 points and a league-best 11.0 rebounds during league play and helped the team to a runner-up finish. Okot’s 3×3 career began with helping Kenya U23 National Team qualify for the 2022 World Championships, and she made her 3×3 Senior Team debut at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Kenya went on to be crowed the FIBA 3×3 Africa Cup Champion at a 2024 Paris Olympic Games pre-qualifying tournament.
Okot joins Florida State transfer Ta’Niya Latson (Miami, FL) and incoming freshman Ayla McDowell (Cypress, TX / Cypress Springs) as the new additions to the Gamecocks’ 2025-26 roster.
Continue to check GamecocksOnline.com and the team’s social media accounts (@GamecockWBB) for the most up-to-date information on the women’s basketball program.
