Starting with the WNBA draft, very little went as planned for the Storm during the 2025 season.
According to basketball pundits and mock drafts, Dominique Malonga wasn’t its first choice, but Seattle selected her second overall when standout guard Olivia Miles opted to forgo the draft and the Dallas Wings used the No. 1 pick on Paige Bueckers.
Malonga started slowly, but by the end of the season the 19-year-old center from France became an integral bench performer and her first year ends with a coveted spot on the WNBA All-Rookie team highlighted by Bueckers, the near unanimous Rookie of the Year who received 70 of 72 first-place votes.
The others on the All-Rookie team include: Washington’s Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen, and Golden State’s Janelle Salaun.
Malonga is the fifth Storm player to earn All-Rookie honors, joining Jordan Horston (2023), Breanna Stewart (2016), Jewell Loyd (2015) and Ramu Tokashiki (2015) since the WNBA began the award in 2005.
“I couldn’t hope for a better environment to grow for me than here,” Malonga said weeks ago. “I just feel like I learned so much basketball-wise out on the court. I had amazing veterans. I had amazing teammates. So, I’m just going to take that experience and keep going forward for the next season.”
Malonga’s inclusion on the All-Rookie team is a significant achievement considering she’s the only one who wasn’t a full-time starter and her 7.7 scoring average ranks eighth among rookies.
However, Malonga set several league records while becoming the youngest player to tally 100 career points, record a double-double and the only rookie to post a 20-point, 10-rebound performance off the bench.
She also averaged 4.6 rebounds and shot 55.1% from the field in 42 games as a reserve.
“We know the potential of Dom,” guard Skylar Diggins said. “We got to see her in stretches this year and what she can do. She’ll be the face of this organization for a very long time.”
Maybe so, but Malonga wasn’t an instant hit.
The 6-foot-6 post player thrilled crowds with an array of dunks during pregame warmups, but didn’t deliver a slam during a game, which made her a viral sensation last year.
Admittedly, the teen phenom struggled adjusting to the WNBA while averaging 4.3 points, 2.8 rebounds and 8.8 minutes in 22 games before the All-Star break.
After the break, Malonga averaged 11.4 points, 6.7 rebounds and 20.3 minutes in 20 games.
“We’re so excited for the future with (Malonga) and know that she’s going to be someone that’s going to attract other players to come play with her,” general manager Talisa Rhea said last week. “She’s going to be someone that we obviously want to build around and with for a very long time.”
In her first playoff game, Malonga had 12 points and 11 rebounds during a Game 1 loss to Las Vegas. She also tallied 11 points and 10 rebounds in a Game 2 victory while paired against Aces star A’ja Wilson.
“It was really great to see just her transition to the league,” Rhea said. “She gained that confidence and just understanding familiarity with the players across the league, she really found a way to make her imprint.”
Malonga is one of four Storm players under contract next season, including Horston, Lexie Brown and Nika Muhl.
