Paige Bueckers of the Dallas Wings is an overwhelming favorite to win the 2025 WNBA Rookie of the Year Award, but the Seattle Storm also has a talented first-year player who's turning heads this season.

Selected just behind Bueckers in the 2025 WNBA draft, Storm center Dominique Malonga isn't the high-scoring threat that the likes of Bueckers and Sonia Citron of the Washington Mystics are, but her defensive acumen, particularly at the rim, is not going unnoticed.

During Tuesday night's game against the Indiana Fever at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Malonga came away with multiple blocks, joining a franchise stat club that has Lauren Jackson and Breanna Stewart as the only other members.

“Dominique Malonga joined Lauren Jackson and Breanna Stewart as the only Storm rookies in franchise history to block at least 10 shots in a five-game span,” Seattle's official PR account on X (formerly Twitter) shared.

Malonga came off the bench and contributed eight points, six rebounds, two assists and two blocks in 24 minutes of action on the floor. However, the Storm fell prey to Indiana in a lopsided result, 95-75.

Before the Indiana game, Malonga had a block in last week's loss to the Phoenix Mercury and had three shot rejections in each of the next two games against the Chicago Sky and the Wings, which were both Seattle victories. Last Sunday, Malonga recorded a block in a Storm win over the Mystics on the road.

Malonga is taking advantage of her physical tools that's helping her swat away shots in the WNBA. When she's not blocking shot attempts, Malonga's size and length make opposing players hesitate on offense. Standing 6-foot-6 with a 7-foot-1 wingspan, Malonga towers over most WNBA players, and she's only about to get better as she gains more experience in the league. Just 19 years old, Malonga has the potential to be a true game-changer in the future for Seattle, which is fighting for a sure spot in the 2025 WNBA playoffs.

The Storm's loss to the Fever dropped Seattle to the eighth spot in the WNBA standings with a 20-19 record.

Looking ahead, the Storm have a tough assignment up next, with a date with the high-powered
Minnesota Lynx on Thursday at Target Center in Minnesota.