Madina Okot Atlanta Dream rookie contract details revealed following WNBA Draft selection

Madina Okot‘s rookie contract for the Atlanta Dream has been revealed. This comes after she was selected No. 13 overall in the first round of the 2026 WNBA Draft — the expansion team’s first-ever draft choice.

Okot, a South Carolina product, will sign a four-year deal that could total up to $1.3 million, according to FOS. This includes a $289,133 base salary during her rookie season. This will inflate each season until earning a $373,768 base salary during year four of the contract.

ESPN reported last month after the WNBA’s new collective bargaining agreement was announced that lottery picks will receive full salary protection in their first season. Moreover, “additional salary protection opportunities available for other picks,” but nothing specific was noted past the lottery. Prior to the CBA, draft picks only received these protections if their fourth-year option was exercised.

This paved the way for the No. 1 pick to earn $500,000 during her rookie season and over $2.2 million total. Compare this to the $78,831 that 2025 No. 1 overall pick Paige Bueckers earned last season. That’s more than a six times difference.

Million dollar contracts have become the norm during the 2026 free agency frenzy. Previously, Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell was the highest paid player in the WNBA. She made $269,244. The rookie minimum is now $270,000.

This marks the first rookie class that gets to enjoy the fruits of the league’s new CBA. With protections and money never before seen at the WNBA level, Okot and the rest of these incoming rookies enter the W at the perfect time.

Now, it won’t take long for this year’s rookie class to turn around and start their careers. Those who played deep into the 2026 NCAA Tournament are fresh off their respective runs. For perspective, the national championship game was played on April 5 and the WNBA preseason begins on April 25. The regular season is set for May 8.