'I cried so hard' - the Kenyan WNBA star who beat US visa heartbreak

'I cried so hard' - the Kenyan WNBA star who beat US visa heartbreakImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Madina Okot (right) was drafted by WNBA side Atlanta Dream, but she almost gave up on moving to the United States after being rejected for a visa four timesByAnita Nkonge and Emmanuel AkindubuwaBBC Sport AfricaPublished19 minutes agoOn the night that changed her life, Madina Okot sat quietly.The Kenyan was waiting, hoping and praying that her name would be called at the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) draft in New York."I was so nervous," she told BBC Sport Africa, reflecting on those moments inside the venue on 13 April."When I heard my name, it was like a dream. Am I here? Am I really doing this?"The 21-year-old did not have to wait long - she was selected in the first round, and 13th overall, by the Atlanta Dream.The third Kenyan to be chosen in the WNBA draft, Okot is the highest pick ever from her country.Perhaps even more impressive, the centre, who stands 6ft 6in tall, has joined the world's top professional league just six years after touching a basketball for the first time.Her game blends physicality, tenacity and versatility, making her an efficient scorer and a solid defensive anchor.But reaching the WNBA has not been straightforward.Okot's US visa battleImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Okot impressed for the South Carolina Gamecocks this season, helping the side to the national championship finalOkot's journey began far from the spotlight as the fifth of eight children in her hometown of Mumias in western Kenya.She initially excelled in volleyball at Bishop Sulumeti High School in Kakamega County before being persuaded to move across the country in 2020 to join Kaya Tiwi Secondary, a school on the east coast near Mombasa which has produced some of Kenyan basketball's biggest names."I was almost scared to try basketball," she recalled."But when I started p...