Ahead of the 2026 season, there were a lot of questions about whether Dominique Malonga and Awa Fam would really work well together this season. As the youngest frontcourt in the league's history, it's easy to see why there's so much interest in their development, even from those outside the Seattle Storm organization.
But the path toward building a cohesive unit has been slow going. Malonga missed the beginning of the season due to a concussion, which left Fam developing on her own. Now that Malonga is back, the two are still putting together the pieces and finding out what works for Seattle and what does not. And while the team's 11-game losing streak is likely frustrating for fans and the team alike, there also seems to be an emphasis on building for the future — and Malonga and Fam represent that future.
The Storm selected Malonga as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 draft, and picked up Fam as the No. 3 overall pick this year. The team's head coach Sonia Raman has made it clear that Seattle specifically wanted to pair the two players together, and that the team isn't as focused on making the two perfect now, but on buiding on what they represent.
Raman also pointed out the obvious while speaking to reporters this month: Fam and Malonga have never played together before, and learning each other well is just going to take time.
At this point, the Storm have bought what the team needs: time
If time is crucial, the Storm's 2026 season has certainly bought the team plenty of it. Seattle isn't having a great season so far, but the potential silver lining of a dismal performance is that it takes the pressure to win off. No one is floating theories that the Storm might be title contenders this year, and, in fact, it seems like losing isn't really as much of a tragedy as it might be for other teams.
That may be, as some have suggested, because the Storm is hoping a less-than-great performance this season will help them draft an excellent perimeter player next year — JuJu Watkins, widely regarded as the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2027, should she leave school, excels in this role. Any team that adds Watkins to its line-up will immediately benefit, but the Storm could see the change the team needs sooner than most.
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