President William Ruto attended the WNBA clash between the New York Liberty and Atlanta Dream in Brooklyn on Wednesday, September 23, to support Kenyan-born basketball player Madina Okot.
Ruto was accompanied by First Lady Rachel Ruto as they watched the game from courtside at Barclays Center.
The President later met Okot, with images showing the three sharing a light moment after the match.
Ruto said he attended the game to support Okot, who plays for Atlanta Dream.
The Atlanta-based team also acknowledged the President’s presence, highlighting his support for Okot and her Kenyan heritage.
On the court, Atlanta defeated New York 83-65 to secure the No. 4 seed and home-court advantage in the opening round of the WNBA playoffs.
The victory gave the Dream a fifth consecutive win and took their regular-season record to 30-14. Atlanta took control of the contest in the second quarter, restricting the Liberty to seven points and establishing a 41-26 lead at halftime.
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The Dream also capitalised on New York’s turnovers, forcing 15 in the opening half and scoring 13 points from those errors.
Allisha Gray was Atlanta’s leading scorer with 24 points, while Naz Hillmon added 16 and Jordin Canada contributed 12.
New York finished the regular season with a 26-18 record. The Liberty were without Breanna Stewart, who missed the game because of left knee soreness.
Atlanta’s Angel Reese also left the game after taking a blow to the face shortly before halftime. She did not return for the second half and finished with six points and six rebounds.
Liberty centre Jonquel Jones was also forced out in the third quarter after sustaining a left ankle injury. She had recorded 10 points and 14 rebounds before leaving the court.
Atlanta will host either Indiana or Washington in the opening round of the playoffs, while New York enters the postseason as the No. 8 seed and will face Minnesota.
