‘Face of the Franchise’: Dominique Malonga Showed She Has What it Takes for Storm
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Emerging as one of the team’s best players in the latter half of the season, No. 2 overall pick Dominique Malonga’s rookie season was just a sign of things to come. Credit: John Mac [/caption]
At first glance, Seattle Storm rookie Dominique Malonga’s numbers seem out of place with the other four 2025 WNBA All-Rookie Team members. Malonga averaged the fewest points, assists and steals of the five, but she also averaged almost 13 fewer minutes than the next closest player (Washington Mystics’ Kiki Iriafen).
But the WNBA, for all its flaws, got this one right. Malonga wasn’t only one of the best rookies in the league during the second half of the season. She was a legitimate difference-maker for a playoff team, making history in multiple areas along the way.
The 19-year-old No. 2 overall pick immediately became the youngest player in Storm history to appear in a game during the team’s season opener on May 17 (third youngest in WNBA history) and set multiple other age- and production-related records in her 42 appearances.
Although she didn’t see big minutes until midway through the season, Malonga’s future impact is clear.
“We know the potential of Dom, we got to see her in stretches this year and what she can do,” Storm veteran Skylar Diggins said during her exit interview on Sept. 20. “She’ll be the face of this franchise for a very long time.”
Road to a role
Malonga was patient early in the season. She didn’t play more than 13 minutes in one game until her 16th appearance, when she was nearly on the court for 20 minutes. Unsurprisingly, that was also the first game she began to break out.
That was a 16-point win over the Connecticut Sun — admittedly a flailing team at the time — and Malonga finished with 11 points (4 for 7 shooting), five rebounds, one assist and one block. However, she still saw limited minutes until late July.
Malonga’s first 23 games: 9 MPG, 4.1 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 0.7 APG, 0.2 BLK, 1.1 TO (46.7% FG, 0% 3FG, 69.2% FT)
“[At] the beginning of the season, you don’t want to put a 19-year-old on the floor without a lot of reps, understanding the physicality of the game — you’re going against pros who know how to play against rookies and what it takes to just be really successful in this league,” said former Storm head coach Noelle Quinn, who the team parted ways with after the season on Sept. 21.
While it was curious how long it took Quinn to ease Malonga in, there was some clear benefit to it. By the time Malonga was in a larger role, she appeared prepared and confident.
Quinn also said that it was a process that Malonga bought into, rather than being resistant to the fact that she wasn’t consistently playing extended minutes. Regardless, the plan seemed to work by the midway point of the season.
“Where we are now, you see what Dom can do, and there is so much more to tap into,” Quinn said.
A superstar in the making
Malonga’s physical traits are unlike any the WNBA has ever seen. She was compared to the NBA’s Victor Wembanyama pre-draft, partially because of their French heritage, but also because of their unique builds.
At 6-foot-6 with a 7-foot-1 wingspan, Malonga has skills that allow her to stretch the floor, defend the rim and be an aggressive interior presence on offense. Over time and with more experience, the Storm began to reap the benefits of Malonga’s ever-growing confidence and developing skills.
Malonga’s final 19 games: 20.7 MPG, 12 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 1.1 APG, 1.3 BLK, 1.2 TO (59.6% FG, 40% 3FG, 52.6% FT)
In just over double the amount of minutes, Malonga saw a substantial increase in her production and improved her shooting efficiency in all areas other than at the line (one of her biggest weaknesses as a rookie).
Over the latter span, Malonga significantly outplayed starting center Ezi Magbegor — at least offensively — who saw a slight decrease in her minutes.
Magbegor’s final 19 games: 26.9 MPG, 7.6 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 1.9 APG, 2.4 BLK (50.9% FG, 45.5% 3FG, 73.9% FT)
In the playoffs, Malonga and Magbegor played similar minutes, but the rookie continued to add more in the Storm’s first-round series against the Las Vegas Aces. Malonga played stout defense against Aces superstar and four-time league MVP A’ja Wilson.
Wilson scored just five points in the second half of Seattle’s 86-83 Game 2 win over Las Vegas, and Malonga emerged as a legitimate game changer. Malonga’s and-one and ensuing free throw with 31 seconds remaining gave the Storm their first lead in that game since late in the second quarter.
The Storm hung onto that lead to extend their season after erasing a 14-point deficit. Malonga logged back-to-back double-doubles in her first two playoff appearances.
“I told my teammates Game 2 was one of the best games of my life in terms of emotions, in terms of what I felt,” Malonga said. “It really was something special, and I will keep that memory forever, and I will build on that because that’s the kind of game that makes you grow two, three years more in one night.”
As Quinn said, Malonga has only scratched the surface of her potential. If she played full minutes the entire season, it’s possible she would have been in the Rookie of the Year conversation. But one of the top five rookies is a solid consolation for how much she did play.
The Storm have just four players under contract in 2026, including Malonga. Regardless of how many players return from this season’s roster, the reset on the coaching staff likely means the front office wants a reset and rebuild around Malonga. The franchise has two first-round picks to aid that.
There isn’t likely to be any restraints on Malonga entering Year 2, and she will be the focal point for a potentially new-look Storm team.
“I’m just so grateful to have been able to play for this organization … and I can’t wait for the years ahead to keep growing and keep building with this organization.”
