Dominique Malonga (basketball)

Dominique Malonga

Malonga in 2025
No. 14–Seattle Storm
Position	Power forward / center
League	WNBA
Personal information
Born	(2005-11-16) 16 November 2005 (age 19) Yaoundé, Cameroon
Nationality	French / Cameroonian
Listed height	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Career information
WNBA draft	2025: 1st round, 2nd overall pick
Drafted by	Seattle Storm
Playing career	2021–present
Career history
2021–2025	ASVEL Féminin
2023–2024	→Tarbes GB
2025–present	Seattle Storm
2026–present	Breeze BC
Career highlights
WNBA All-Rookie Team (2025)
Stats at Basketball Reference
Medals Women's basketball Representing France Olympic Games 2024 Paris Team FIBA Under-17 World Cup 2022 Hungary Team

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 women's national basketball team. She was the youngest member of the French 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]}

Professional career

France

On 30 June 2021, Malonga signed with ASVEL Féminin of the Ligue Féminine de Basketball (LFB). ^[4] ASVEL Féminin president Tony Parker called her the female Victor Wembanyama. ^{[5] [6]} During the 2021–22 season, in her first season with the club, she averaged six points and five rebounds in seven games. ^[7] During the 2022–23 season she missed six weeks due to injury and averaged 6.4 points and 3.3 rebounds in seven games. ^[8]

On 17 August 2023, she was loaned to Tarbes Gespe Bigorre of the LFB for the 2023–24 season. ^[9] During her first season with Tarbes Gespe Bigorre she averaged 11.9 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 25 games. ^[10]

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 Women, Malonga made a dunk and was initially believed to be the first Frenchwoman to dunk in an official game. ^{[11] [12]} However, it was later reported—and eventually confirmed through video footage—that 17-year-old Alicia Tournebize  [ fr ] had accomplished the feat a few weeks earlier in a French fourth division game. ^{[13] [14]}

Turkey

In March 2025, Malonga signed with Fenerbahçe of the Turkish Super League. ^[15] Malonga missed the start of the 2025–26 season, and in October, she announced that she had not yet traveled to Turkey due to wrist surgery, an injury sustained toward the end of the 2025 WNBA season. ^[16] However, on 20 October, the team announced that Malonga had unilaterally terminated her contract without a just cause. ^[17]

WNBA

Seattle Storm (2025–present)

On 14 April 2025, Malonga was drafted second overall by the Seattle Storm in the 2025 WNBA draft. ^[18] She made her debut on 17 May in a 59–81 loss to the Phoenix Mercury, scoring 2 points in 9 minutes off the bench. With that appearance, she became the youngest player in Storm history and the third-youngest in WNBA history to play in a game, at 19 years and 184 days old. ^{[19] [20]} Malonga averaged only 8.8 minutes over the first 22 games of the season before the All-Star break, 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. ^[21] On 25 July, in a 95–57 win over the Chicago Sky, Malonga recorded 14 points and 10 rebounds and became the youngest player ever (19 years and 250 days) to post a double-double and to reach the century mark for points. ^[22] On 8 August, in an 86–90 loss to the Las Vegas Aces, Malonga scored 22 points and 12 rebounds (both career highs) in 24 minutes off the bench. ^[23]

The Storm finished the regular season in 7th place and faced the second-seeded Aces in the playoffs. In Game 1, a 77–102 loss, Malonga recorded 12 points and 11 rebounds in 23 minutes, becoming the second-youngest player to make her WNBA postseason debut. ^[24] In Game 2, an 86–83 win, she posted another double-double with 11 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks in 22 minutes, including a game-deciding three-point play with 31 seconds remaining. ^[25] The Storm ultimately lost the winner-take-all Game 3, ending their playoff run. After the season, Malonga was named to the All-Rookie Team. ^[26]

Unrivaled

On November 5, 2025, it was announced that Malonga had been drafted by Breeze BC for the 2026 Unrivaled season. ^[27]

National team career

Malonga made her international debut for France at the 2021 FIBA U16 Women's 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 Women's Basketball World Cup. ^[28]

During the 2022 FIBA Under-17 Women's Basketball World Cup she averaged a double-double of 18 points and ten rebounds per game and helped France win a bronze medal. ^[29] 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. ^[30] She finished the tournament with the best efficiency rating of 22.4, ranked second in scoring and fourth in rebounds. ^[31]

During the 2024 FIBA Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament she averaged nine points and 3.3 rebounds in three games, as France finished the tournament undefeated. ^[32] 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. ^{[33] [34]} During the Olympic tournament, Malonga 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. ^[35]

On 12 May 2025, Malonga announced that she would not participate in EuroBasket Women 2025, choosing instead to focus on her rookie WNBA season. ^[36]

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 ^[37]

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	TO	PPG
2025	Seattle	42	0	14.3	.551	.222	.569	4.6	0.9	0.4	0.7	1.1	7.7
Career	1 year, 1 team	42	0	14.3	.551	.222	.569	4.6	0.9	0.4	0.7	1.1	7.7

Playoffs

WNBA playoff statistics

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	TO	PPG
2025	Seattle	3	0	22.7	.391	1.000	.857	8.7	1.3	0.7	1.7	1.0	8.7
Career	1 year, 1 team	3	0	22.7	.391	1.000	.857	8.7	1.3	0.7	1.7	1.0	8.7

Orders

• Chevalier in the French Order of Merit: 2024 ^[38]

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. "Dominique Malonga, nouvelle Lionne". ldlcasvelfeminin.com (in French). 30 June 2021. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
5. Newman, Logan (21 October 2022). "16-year-old French girls basketball player Dominique Malonga goes viral dunking". Yahoo! Sports . Retrieved 22 July 2024.
6. "Six rising stars ready to shine at Paris 2024". fiba.basketball. 15 July 2024. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
7. "Malonga head and shoulders above the Top 5 girls campers at BWB Europe". fiba.basketball. 17 June 2022. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
8. "Six semaines d'absence pour Dominique MALONGA". ldlcasvelfeminin.com (in French). 8 February 2023. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
9. "Dominique Malonga prêtée à Tarbes pour la saison 2023-2024". ldlcasvelfeminin.com (in French). 17 August 2023. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
10. "Dominique Malonga sacrée meilleure jeune du championnat". ldlcasvelfeminin.com (in French). 11 April 2024. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
11. "Dominique Malonga, the first Frenchwoman to dunk in a match". 1 November 2024. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
12. "Teenage sensation Malonga throws down historic dunk". fiba.basketball. 31 October 2024. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
13. "French teenager Tournebize throws down another dunk". www.fiba.basketball. 17 February 2025. Retrieved 24 April 2025.
14. "Alicia Tournebize a bien dunké avant Dominique Malonga, la preuve en vidéo". L'Équipe (in French). Retrieved 24 April 2025.
15. "Dominique Malonga attendue au Fenerbahçe jusqu'en 2028 !". BeBasket (in French). Retrieved 21 May 2025.
16. "Dominique Malonga blessée à un poignet et absente avec le Fenerbahçe en Euroligue". L'Équipe (in French). Retrieved 21 October 2025.
17. "Après avoir signé au Fenerbahçe en juillet, Dominique Malonga a déjà résilié son contrat". L'Équipe (in French). Retrieved 21 October 2025.
18. Allen, Percy (14 April 2025). "Storm take Dominique Malonga with No. 2 pick in WNBA draft". The Seattle Times . Retrieved 15 April 2025.
19. "Youngest player in Storm history is also one of most promising". The Seattle Times. 17 May 2025. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
20. "Storm suffer 'embarrassing' blowout in season opener". The Seattle Times. 17 May 2025. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
21. "Storm rookie earns WNBA honor". The Seattle Times. 29 September 2025. Retrieved 21 October 2025.
22. "Game 25: Seattle @ Chicago, 95-57". storm.wnba.com. Retrieved 5 August 2025.
23. "Storm fall to Aces despite big night for rookie Dominique Malonga". The Seattle Times. 8 August 2025. Retrieved 21 October 2025.
24. "Dominique Malonga Makes Historic Postseason Debut for Seattle Storm". Seattle Storm On SI. 16 September 2025. Retrieved 21 October 2025.
25. Dalzell, Noa (17 September 2025). "A WNBA star is being born in front of our eyes". SB Nation. Retrieved 21 October 2025.
26. "Dominique Malonga named to 2025 WNBA All-Rookie Team". storm.wnba.com. Retrieved 21 October 2025.
27. Andrews, Kendra (5 November 2025). "Rosters set for Unrivaled second season after internal draft". ESPN. Retrieved 7 November 2025.
28. "The standout players from the FIBA U16 Women's European Challengers". fiba.basketball. 17 August 2021. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
29. "Les Bleues U17 en bronze, Dominique dans le 5 majeur !". ldlcasvelfeminin.com (in French). 17 July 2022. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
30. "Watkins named TISSOT MVP, leads All-Star Five". fiba.basketball. 18 July 2022. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
31. "Who is the 16-year-old dunking sensation Dominique Malonga?". fiba.basketball. 21 October 2022. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
32. "Team Profile: Will France deliver a fairytale in front of their fans?". fiba.basketball. 20 July 2024. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
33. "Les 12 Bleus retenus pour Paris 2024". ffbb.com (in French). 8 June 2024. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
34. "Teenage Malonga breathes fire for France". fiba.basketball. 2 July 2024. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
35. "Dominique Malonga - France - Stats, News, Photos & Videos - Women's Olympic Basketball Tournament Paris 2024". www.fiba.basketball. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
36. "Storm's Williams, Malonga to pass on EuroBasket". ESPN.com. 12 May 2025. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
37. "Dominique Malonga Career Statistics". Basketball Reference. Retrieved 10 July 2025.
38. Décret du 23 septembre 2024 portant promotion et nomination dans l'ordre national du Mérite.

External links

• Dominique Malonga at FIBA
• Dominique Malonga at the 2024 Summer Olympics