Subscribe
Follow Us
The Seattle Storm used the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft to select 19-year-old Dominique Malonga, a rising star out of France who has drawn comparisons to NBA standout Victor Wembanyama for her rare blend of size and skill.
Malonga, a 6-foot-6 center with a 7-foot wingspan, has been making headlines since her early teens, becoming the first Frenchwoman to dunk in a game and signing professionally with Tony Parker’s ASVEL Féminin team at just 15, per ClutchPoints on X, formerly Twitter. This past season, she averaged 15.4 points, 10.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists for Lyon ASVEL, leading the team in scoring during the EuroCup Women’s tournament.
Seattle general manager Talisa Rhea called the selection a unique opportunity to add a high-ceiling player despite coming off a successful season.
“She’s someone who is going to be able to impact us now and in the future,” Rhea said, as reported by Percy Allen of The Seattle Times.
Dominique Malonga is Storm's ‘unicorn'
Coach Noelle Quinn praised Malonga’s versatility, calling her “a unicorn” who can guard multiple positions and stretch the floor on offense.
Malonga expressed pride in her draft position and emphasized the rise of French basketball on the international stage.
“It just shows that it’s not only men French players, it’s also women,” she said in a post-draft interview. “French basketball is at the level that we have never seen.”
Nicknamed the “Female Wemby” by Parker, Malonga became a viral sensation with her dunks at age 15. Her game includes rim protection, mobility, and a growing perimeter presence, making her one of the most anticipated international arrivals in recent WNBA memory.
Malonga is expected to return to France for club commitments, and the Storm are working through the logistics of when she will join the team. Training camp begins April 27, with her EuroLeague quarterfinal scheduled for April 23.
She is the highest Storm draft pick since Breanna Stewart went No. 1 overall in 2016 and marks the fifth foreign-born player to be drafted among the top two in WNBA history.
