Atlanta Dream | WNBA Draft
The Atlanta Dream came into draft night with a clear plan add size, add defense, and keep building a roster that already looks like a championship contender. They executed on all three counts.
Pick 13 — Madina Okot, C, South Carolina The Dream's prize of the night. Okot is a record-setting 6'6" center from Mumias, Kenya who in just two years of NCAA competition became one of the nation's premier frontcourt players. She ranked third in the country with 22 double-doubles, averaged 10.6 rebounds per game, and cemented herself in South Carolina's record books ranking second in single season offensive rebounds and third in both total rebounds and defensive rebounds in program history. Before South Carolina, she started every game at Mississippi State averaging 11.2 points and 9.6 rebounds. Remarkably, Okot didn't pick up a basketball until she was 16 years old, coming from a volleyball background.
"We were really hopeful and maybe a bit pessimistic that she would be available," said Dream Head Coach Karl Smesko. "Her ability to crash the boards and the way she moves defensively, I think she'll be a good addition."
GM Dan Padover added: "Okot is someone we've been targeting for a while now. We believe her best basketball is ahead of her. She's a great talent with an unlimited upside."
Pick 28 — Indya Nivar, G, North Carolina A defense-first guard from Fayetteville, NC who earned All-ACC Second Team and ACC All-Defensive Team honors in her senior season at North Carolina. Nivar started all 35 games, led the Tar Heels in both steals and assists, and delivered one of the most unique stat lines in program history a triple-double featuring 13 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 steals, matching the school's single game steals record and becoming just the fourth player in ACC history to post a triple double featuring steals. She averaged 10.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 2.7 steals per game, totaling 94 steals on the season the most by a Tar Heel in more than a decade. She also won gold with Team USA at the 2022 FIBA U18 Women's Americas Championship and was named North Carolina Miss Basketball her senior year of high school.
"We like Nivar's ability to make plays and her knack for the ball," said Smesko. "She's aggressive, attacks downhill and is not afraid of conflict. She is high energy and gets a ton of steals."
Pick 43 — Kejia Ran, G, CBA Beijing (China) A dynamic two-way guard who impacts the game on both ends of the floor. Known for her defensive versatility and her ability to guard multiple positions while disrupting passing lanes, Ran also plays with efficiency in the midrange and around the rim. She has represented China at the international level with consistent production against top global talent at the 2025 FIBA U19 Women's World Cup, Ran averaged 19.1 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game