Dominique Malonga (basketball)

Dominique Malonga
Malonga with the Seattle Storm in 2026
No. 14 – Seattle Storm
PositionCenter
LeagueWNBA
Personal information
Born (2005-11-16) 16 November 2005
Yaoundé, Cameroon
Listed height6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Career information
WNBA draft2025: 1st round, 2nd overall pick
Drafted bySeattle Storm
Playing career2021–present
Career history
2021–2025ASVEL Féminin
2023–2024Tarbes GB
2025–presentSeattle Storm
2026–presentBreeze BC
Career highlights
Stats at Basketball Reference 
Medals
Women's basketball
Representing France France
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place2024 ParisTeam
FIBA Under-17 World Cup
Bronze medal – third place2022 HungaryTeam

Dominique Malonga (born 16 November 2005) is a French professional basketball player for the Seattle Storm of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and for the Breeze of Unrivaled. She was selected second overall by the Storm in the 2025 WNBA draft. She also plays for the France national basketball team. She was the youngest member of the team at the 2024 Summer Olympics and won a silver medal.

Early life

Malonga was born in Yaoundé, and is the daughter of Thalance Malonga and Agathe N'Nindjem-Yolemp.[1] Both of her parents are former basketball players, while her father is currently a doctor.[2][3] She is the fourth of six children.[4]

Malonga lived in France while her mother was playing professionally and often went back and forth to Cameroon. From 2012 to 2016 the family lived in Cameroon before moving back to France.[4]

Professional career

France

On 30 June 2021, Malonga signed with ASVEL Féminin of the Ligue Féminine de Basketball (LFB).[5] At age 16 she went viral for dunking.[6][7] During the 2021–22 season, in her first season with the club, she averaged six points and five rebounds in seven games.[8] During the 2022–23 season she missed six weeks due to injury and averaged 6.4 points and 3.3 rebounds in seven games.[9]

On 17 August 2023, she was loaned to Tarbes Gespe Bigorre of the LFB for the 2023–24 season.[10] During her first season with Tarbes Gespe Bigorre she averaged 11.9 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 25 games.[11]

Malonga returned to ASVEL for the 2024–25 season. On 31 October 2024, in a 115–54 win over Apollon Limassol in the 2024–25 EuroCup, Malonga made a dunk and was initially believed to be the first French woman to dunk in an official game.[12][13] It was later reported—and eventually confirmed through video footage—that 17-year-old Alicia Tournebize had accomplished the feat a few weeks earlier in a French fourth division game.[14][15]

Turkey

In March 2025, Malonga signed with Fenerbahçe of the Turkish Super League.[16] Malonga missed the start of the 2025–26 season, and in October 2025 she announced that she had not yet traveled to Turkey due to wrist surgery for an injury she sustained toward the end of the 2025 WNBA season.[17] On 20 October 2025, the team announced that Malonga had unilaterally terminated her contract without a just cause.[18]

WNBA

2025

On 14 April 2025, Malonga was drafted second overall by the Seattle Storm in the 2025 WNBA draft.[19] She made her WNBA debut on 17 May 2025 in a 59–81 loss to the Phoenix Mercury, scoring two points in nine minutes off the bench. At 19 years and 184 days old, she became the youngest player in Storm history and the third-youngest in WNBA history to play in a game.[20][21] She averaged only 8.8 minutes over the first 22 games of the season before the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game, but her role expanded significantly as the season progressed. In the 20 games following the break, she averaged 11.4 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 20.3 minutes per game.[22] On 25 July, in a 95–57 win over the Chicago Sky, she recorded 14 points and 10 rebounds for a double-double. At 19 years and 250 days, she became the youngest player ever to post a double-double and to reach the century mark for points.[23] On 8 August, in an 86–90 loss to the Las Vegas Aces, she scored a then career-high 22 points and 12 rebounds in 24 minutes off the bench.[24] The Storm finished the regular season in 7th place and faced the second-seeded Aces in the playoffs. In Game 1 of the 2025 WNBA playoffs, she recorded 12 points and 11 rebounds in 23 minutes, becoming the second-youngest player to make her WNBA postseason debut.[25] In Game 2, she posted another double-double with 11 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, and two blocks in 22 minutes, including a game-deciding three-point play with 31 seconds remaining.[26] The Storm ultimately lost the winner-take-all Game 3, ending their playoff run. Following the season, she was named to the WNBA All-Rookie Team.[27]

2026

During the 2026 WNBA season, Malonga played three games to start the season, before entering concussion protocol on 14 May 2026.[28] She missed the next eight games, and made her return on 6 June against the Minnesota Lynx and scored seven points in 14 minutes off the bench. This marked the first time Malonga and the Storm's 2026 WNBA draft first-round selection, Awa Fam, saw action together.[29] On 17 June, she scored a then career-high 28 points, along with 11 rebounds, in an 89–94 loss to the Portland Fire.[30] On 22 June, she scored a career-high 37 points and season-high 12 rebounds in a 110–112 overtime loss to the Dallas Wings. She became the youngest player in WNBA history to record a 30-point game, and the first under 21 years old.[31] On 25 June, in a 99–88 win over the New York Liberty, she recorded 20 points and 10 rebounds, and snapped an 11-game losing streak for the Storm. She became the youngest player in WNBA history to reach both 500 career points and 200 defensive rebounds.[32]

Unrivaled

On 5 November 2025, Malonga was drafted by Breeze BC for the 2026 Unrivaled season.[33]

National team career

Malonga made her international debut for France at the 2021 FIBA U16 European Challengers where she averaged 19.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 2.8 blocks per game to help France qualify for the 2022 FIBA Under-17 World Cup.[34]

During the 2022 FIBA Under-17 World Cup she averaged a double-double of 18 points and ten rebounds per game and helped France win a bronze medal. During the bronze medal game against Canada she scored 28 points and 17 rebounds. Following the tournament she was named to the all-tournament team.[35] She finished the tournament with the best efficiency rating of 22.4, ranked second in scoring and fourth in rebounds.[36]

During the 2024 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament she averaged nine points and 3.3 rebounds in three games, as France finished the tournament undefeated.[37] On 8 June 2024, she was named to France's roster to compete at the 2024 Summer Olympics. At 18 years old, she was the youngest member on the team.[38][39] During the Olympic tournament, she played in all three group games and the gold medal game. She averaged 7.1 minutes, 2.8 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 0.8 blocks per game as the French team won a silver medal.[40]

On 12 May 2025, she announced that she would not participate in EuroBasket 2025, choosing instead to focus on her rookie WNBA season.[41]

Malonga returned to the team for the 2026 FIBA World Cup Qualifying Tournament. On 11 March 2026, in a 115–66 win over the Philippines, she became the first woman to dunk for France at senior level.[42]

Personal life

Malonga is currently attending Southern New Hampshire University for a computer science degree online.[4][43] She enjoys playing the piano in her free time and often uses it to decompress.[43]

Career statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game  FG%  Field goal percentage
 3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage  RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game
 SPG  Steals per game  BPG  Blocks per game  TO  Turnovers per game  PPG  Points per game
 Bold  Career high  °  League leader  ‡  WNBA record

WNBA

Regular season

Stats current as of end of 2025 season

WNBA regular season statistics[44]
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG TO PPG
2025 Seattle 42014.3.551.222.5694.60.90.40.71.17.7
Career 1 year, 1 team 42014.3.551.222.5694.60.90.40.71.17.7

Playoffs

WNBA playoff statistics
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG TO PPG
2025 Seattle 3022.7.3911.000.8578.71.30.71.71.08.7
Career 1 year, 1 team 3022.7.3911.000.8578.71.30.71.71.08.7

Orders

References

  1. ↑ Segura, Nicolas (30 July 2023). "Dominique Malonga, prodige du basketball, revient en famille à Flers". actu.fr (in French). Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  2. ↑ Azzola, Jean-Marc (9 May 2022). "Dominique Malonga (ASVEL) : " Les attentes autour de moi me motivent "". lequotidiendusport.fr (in French). Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  3. ↑ "Flers. Deux délégations africaines à un tournoi de basket". Ouest-France (in French). 28 November 2019. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 "Storm's Dunking Phenom Dominique Malonga Can Do It All—and She Intends To". SI.com. 22 June 2026. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  5. ↑ "Dominique Malonga, nouvelle Lionne". ldlcasvelfeminin.com (in French). 30 June 2021. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  6. ↑ Newman, Logan (21 October 2022). "16-year-old French girls basketball player Dominique Malonga goes viral dunking". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  7. ↑ "Six rising stars ready to shine at Paris 2024". fiba.basketball. 15 July 2024. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  8. ↑ "Malonga head and shoulders above the Top 5 girls campers at BWB Europe". fiba.basketball. 17 June 2022. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  9. ↑ "Six semaines d'absence pour Dominique MALONGA". ldlcasvelfeminin.com (in French). 8 February 2023. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  10. ↑ "Dominique Malonga prêtée à Tarbes pour la saison 2023-2024". ldlcasvelfeminin.com (in French). 17 August 2023. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  11. ↑ "Dominique Malonga sacrée meilleure jeune du championnat". ldlcasvelfeminin.com (in French). 11 April 2024. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  12. ↑ "Dominique Malonga, the first Frenchwoman to dunk in a match". 1 November 2024. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  13. ↑ "Teenage sensation Malonga throws down historic dunk". fiba.basketball. 31 October 2024. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  14. ↑ "French teenager Tournebize throws down another dunk". fiba.basketball. 17 February 2025. Retrieved 24 April 2025.
  15. ↑ "Alicia Tournebize a bien dunké avant Dominique Malonga, la preuve en vidéo". L'Équipe (in French). Retrieved 24 April 2025.
  16. ↑ "Dominique Malonga attendue au Fenerbahçe jusqu'en 2028 !". BeBasket (in French). Retrieved 21 May 2025.
  17. ↑ "Dominique Malonga blessée à un poignet et absente avec le Fenerbahçe en Euroligue". L'Équipe (in French). Retrieved 21 October 2025.
  18. ↑ "Après avoir signé au Fenerbahçe en juillet, Dominique Malonga a déjà résilié son contrat". L'Équipe (in French). Retrieved 21 October 2025.
  19. ↑ Allen, Percy (14 April 2025). "Storm take Dominique Malonga with No. 2 pick in WNBA draft". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
  20. ↑ "Youngest player in Storm history is also one of most promising". The Seattle Times. 17 May 2025. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
  21. ↑ "Storm suffer 'embarrassing' blowout in season opener". The Seattle Times. 17 May 2025. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
  22. ↑ "Storm rookie earns WNBA honor". The Seattle Times. 29 September 2025. Retrieved 21 October 2025.
  23. ↑ "Game 25: Seattle @ Chicago, 95-57". storm.wnba.com. 25 July 2025. Retrieved 5 August 2025.
  24. ↑ "Storm fall to Aces despite big night for rookie Dominique Malonga". The Seattle Times. 8 August 2025. Retrieved 21 October 2025.
  25. ↑ "Dominique Malonga Makes Historic Postseason Debut for Seattle Storm". Seattle Storm On SI. 16 September 2025. Retrieved 21 October 2025.
  26. ↑ Dalzell, Noa (17 September 2025). "A WNBA star is being born in front of our eyes". SB Nation. Retrieved 21 October 2025.
  27. ↑ "Dominique Malonga named to 2025 WNBA All-Rookie Team". storm.wnba.com. Retrieved 21 October 2025.
  28. ↑ "Storm's Dominique Malonga takes big step in return from concussion". The Seattle Times. 3 June 2026. Retrieved 3 June 2026.
  29. ↑ "Seattle Storm's Awa Fam, Dominique Malonga see first action together during loss". The Seattle Times. 3 June 2026. Retrieved 3 June 2026.
  30. ↑ "Storm squander Dominique Malonga's career night in loss at Portland". The Seattle Times. 17 June 2026. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
  31. ↑ "Storm set loss record despite career night from Dominique Malonga". The Seattle Times. 22 June 2026. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  32. ↑ Munson, Bella (29 June 2026). "Dominique Malonga's confidence journey". theixsports.com. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
  33. ↑ Andrews, Kendra (5 November 2025). "Rosters set for Unrivaled second season after internal draft". ESPN.com. Retrieved 5 November 2025.
  34. ↑ "The standout players from the FIBA U16 Women's European Challengers". fiba.basketball. 17 August 2021. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  35. ↑ "Watkins named TISSOT MVP, leads All-Star Five". fiba.basketball. 18 July 2022. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  36. ↑ "Who is the 16-year-old dunking sensation Dominique Malonga?". fiba.basketball. 21 October 2022. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  37. ↑ "Team Profile: Will France deliver a fairytale in front of their fans?". fiba.basketball. 20 July 2024. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  38. ↑ "La liste des 12 Bleues pour Paris 2024". La Boulangère Wonderligue (in French). Retrieved 24 March 2026.
  39. ↑ "Teenage Malonga breathes fire for France". fiba.basketball. 2 July 2024. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  40. ↑ "Dominique Malonga - France - Stats, News, Photos & Videos - Women's Olympic Basketball Tournament Paris 2024". fiba.basketball. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  41. ↑ "Storm's Williams, Malonga to pass on EuroBasket". ESPN.com. 12 May 2025. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
  42. ↑ "Basket. La vidéo du dunk historique de Dominique Malonga avec l'équipe de France". leprogres.fr (in French). 11 March 2026. Retrieved 24 March 2026.
  43. 1 2 "She's Studying Computer Science As a Pro Athlete. Dominique Malonga Is Playing a Longer Game". Women's Health. 8 May 2026. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  44. ↑ "Dominique Malonga Career Statistics". Basketball Reference. Retrieved 10 July 2025.
  45. ↑ Décret du 23 septembre 2024 portant promotion et nomination dans l'ordre national du Mérite.
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