Dominique Malonga has reportedly pulled out of her three-year contract with Turkish basketball club Fenerbahçe Istanbul, a decision that may ultimately keep the young Storm star from returning to the WNBA next season.

Turkish outlet Mert Genç ile Kadın basketbolu first reported Malonga had backed out of her contract (reportedly to pursue a spot in Unrivaled). BeBasket also noted the Turkish club offered Malonga a salary of €90,000 (approximately $104,000 USD) — a far cry from the average $222,000 that players in Unrivaled received last year.

Now Front Office Sports has reported Fenerbahçe Istanbul isn’t letting Malonga go without a fight, and the WNBA’s long-standing agreement with FIBA could bring her burgeoning career in the W to a temporary halt.

The WNBA agreed to FIBA’s “letter of clearance” system at the league’s inception, and that system has been a two-way street that’s allowed players to move freely between leagues. The WNBA signs a letter that allows a player to play under the FIBA umbrella, and FIBA similarly gives clearance for a player to return back to the W.

Front Office Sports also reported that though the WNBA has already cleared Malonga to play in Turkey, Fenerbahçe has not provided clearance for her return to the States. If Malonga and the team are still locked in a legal dispute by the time the league begins again next year, the Storm could be forced to play without their returning second-year hooper.

Dominique Malonga might be playing in Unrivaled

Though she has plenty of opportunities elsewhere, playing overseas with pros would have given Malonga the type of offseason development she could benefit from, especially as the youngest player in the WNBA. Of course, if rumors surrounding Malonga’s potential entry into Unrivaled prove true, she will get a similar type of offseason experience.

Rumors that Malonga will play in Unrivaled have not been substantiated, and on October 16 she posted a video to TikTok and revealed she’s suffered a wrist injury and will need surgery to repair a dislocated tendon.

Malonga’s debut in the WNBA kicked off with a bang after she was selected as the No. 2 overall draft pick in this year’s draft. She went on to average 7.7 points and 4.6 rebounds in 14.3 minutes with the Seattle Storm, and clocked another average of 22.7 points during the team’s playoffs run. Malonga had a lot to prove as the youngest player in the WNBA, and she put every bit of her effort into doing exactly that.