2025 No. 2 overall pick Dominique Malonga was in attendance for the Seattle Storm’s lone preseason game against the Connecticut Sun. However, she was on the sidelines in street clothes; not in uniform.
Having just wrapped up her season with France’s Lyon ASVEL Féminin in late April, Malonga missed the start of Seattle’s training camp. She arrived in the United States a day before the Storm’s exhibition match versus the Sun. After joining the team so late, many are wondering whether the 19-year-old will be ready for their regular-season opening clash with the Phoenix Mercury.
When will Dominique Malonga make her WNBA debut?
As of now, there hasn't been any official confirmation regarding when Malonga will make her WNBA debut. But she’ll be with the Storm for the next two weeks leading up to their meeting with the Mercury on May 17. Nonetheless, it remains to be seen how hard Seattle head coach Noelle Quinn will work her so recently after a physically demanding season with ASVEL.
“Our group is growing,” Quinn stated (h/t Percy Allen of the Seattle Times) regarding Malonga’s highly anticipated onboarding process. “... it’ll be good to have [Dominique] here to learn, pick up concepts and just to see her in action.”
Whether Malonga suits up for Seattle’s upcoming road scrimmage with the Los Angeles Sparks on May 10 will be telling. As of this writing, her status is unclear, though that presents a prime opportunity to ramp up before the 2025 campaign. But perhaps the Storm prefer to err cautiously and rest its new franchise centerpiece, considering she's fresh off a postseason run with ASVEL.
The story behind Seattle Storm rookie Dominique Malonga
Malonga has garnered attention for her size, skill, athleticism and dunking ability since she was 16! She's been dubbed the “the female version of Victor Wembanyama,” the 7-foot-3 San Antonio Spurs French phenom.
A 6-foot-6 center with a 7-foot-1 and great verticality, Malonga is an imposing interior presence on both ends of the floor. She averaged 15.4 points, 10.3 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game while shooting 53.8% from the field. Moreover, boasting NBA-level three-point range makes stopping her inside even harder.
As the youngest member of France’s 2024 Olympic women’s basketball team that earned a silver medal, Malonga's defensive prowess was apparent last summer. She went toe-to-toe with three-time MVP A’ja Wilson in what should be an exciting head-to-head clash for years to come.
Fans of Malonga and the Storm will be watching eagerly, hoping for a debut that showcases her skills and contributions to the league. Oddsmakers consider Seattle a virtual lock to make the playoffs this season, and she figures to be a massive piece of the puzzle.