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# Malonga, Quinn Fall Short of Unrivaled Championship in Loss to Mist
- URL: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/malonga-quinn-fall-short-of-unrivaled-championship-in-loss-to-mist/
- Published: 2026-03-03T22:25:30.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-08T05:56:12.000Z
- Author: Connor Benintendi
- Tags: News, Storm, Dominique Malonga, Noelle Quinn

\[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1360"\]

![  Seattle Storm star Dominique Malonga and the team's former head coach, Noelle Quinn, lost to the Mist in the Unrivaled semifinals on Monday. Credit: John Mac  ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1d/f2/1df2f77b-83dd-4bc0-a6d2-6d1bb5df89a3/content/images/2026/10/54751757929_8f28ecbd85_o-format-original-1.jpg)

Seattle Storm star Dominique Malonga and the team's former head coach, Noelle Quinn, lost to the Mist in the Unrivaled semifinals on Monday. Credit: John Mac \[/caption\]

Dominique Malonga and Noelle Quinn’s Breeze lost to the Mist in the Unrivaled semifinals on Monday, March 2, but the 20-year-old Seattle Storm star once again proved why she will soon be one of the best players in the WNBA, possibly as soon as next season.

The Breeze lost 73-69, falling one win short of the Unrivaled championship. Malonga finished with a team-high 18 points (9 of 14 shooting), 14 rebounds, two assists and two blocks. It was Malonga’s third-straight double-double, second in the playoffs and ninth of the season.

“I think that right now, that’s how I can really contribute in the game,” Malonga told reporters after the game. “I know that offensively, I will keep improving, I will keep getting things in my skill set. But I think defense and rebounding, that’s my strength, and that’s the thing that you cannot coach, is just effort … We came up short today, but I think we all left everything that we had \[on the court\].”

In the regular season (14 games), Malonga averaged 16.4 points, 9.4 rebounds, 1.0 assists, and 0.9 blocks. She upped those averages in two playoff games to 16.0 points, 15.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.5 blocks.

Malonga was much more efficient in the playoff loss than 2025 No. 1 overall pick Paige Bueckers, who totaled 17 points on 8 of 22 shooting.

Quinn and Malonga concluded their first seasons in Unrivaled with a 7-9 record, including playoffs. The Breeze were one of the most unique teams in the league with their core of young stars, including Malonga, Bueckers, Cameron Brink and Rickea Jackson.

It was Quinn’s first coaching stop since being fired by the Storm at the end of the 2025 season. Sonia Raman replaced Quinn after another disappointing season in Seattle last year.

Malonga said she was “speechless” about the season, heaping praise on her team and on Quinn, whom she played just one year under in the WNBA.

“This team is just different. I love all of them, I love coach, I was so glad to be able to play under her again.”

Quinn was also emotional in her reflection after the game. She will be out of the WNBA in 2026 after not being hired for any of the other four head coach openings that became available after last season.

“It meant the world to me, from the standpoint of putting the team together first and foremost,” Quinn said. “Those are players that I wanted to coach and that I thought would complement each other. Whether they were young or not, I thought they were hoopers and really good people at the end of the day. To be able to have, in the same room, future Hall of Famers, a franchise player … it’s super special. It wasn’t only about the basketball, it was about pouring into them as young women and having an opportunity to be myself, have joy — I didn’t have a bad day, honestly.”

The earliest Quinn could be back in the league is in 2027, but she may remain coaching the Breeze in the future. Even if the Breeze weren’t at the top of the league in the regular season, they were one step away from the championship. That’s a solid rebound from the former Storm head coach.

For Malonga, all she’s done is raise her WNBA stock. Now, Storm fans just have to hope that a new CBA is finalized so they can see Malonga back on the Climate Pledge Arena court in 2026.