The Seattle Storm have entered a transformative period as a franchise. After trading franchise icon Jewell Loyd, the team has a new identity, reinvented around Skylar Diggins and Nneka Ogwumike with plenty of talent left to compete for a title. One of those primary contributing factors will be the play of the emerging French rookie, Dominique Malonga.
The Storm selected Malonga with the second pick of the 2025 WNBA draft. Standing 6-foot-6, she displays an elite level of athleticism that can be seen in the viral videos of her dunking without any difficulty. During this season, Malonga has continued to gain confidence and give validity to the Storm investing an early draft pick into acquiring her.
Malonga is averaging 4.8 points and 2.6 rebounds a game on 9 minutes per night off the bench. Her season highs came against the Connecticut Sun on June 26, where she scored 20 points and grabbed 11 boards. Her most recent performance might be her most impressive, where she scored 11 points and secured 8 rebounds in a 79-70 upset win against the New York Liberty.
Dominique Malonga is showing just how dominant she could be in the future
At 19 years old, Malonga is currently the youngest player in the league. Her length and jumping ability give the Storm an advantage every night when reserves enter the game. Signs of increased confidence are becoming more apparent in her offensive game, as she has increased her field goal attempts by almost two shots in the last four games of the season. With potential playoff matchups against interior stars like Napheesa Collier and A'ja Wilson, the Storm will need the play of Malonga to continue to develop throughout this season.
The Seattle Storm is currently No. 4 in the league with a record of 12-7 but have gone 7-3 in the last 10 matchups. With great team length and defensive intensity, the Storm give matchup problems for their opponents each and every night. This Storm team puts an emphasis on dominating the paint with defense, rebounding, and points. Dominique Malonga perfectly fits right into that team philosophy and will for a long time.