At 6-foot-6 wth a 7-foot-1 wingspan and a great vertical, Malonga has all the tools to be a prolific rim protector. However, she wasn’t really blocking shots when she first entered the WNBA. She averaged just 0.7 blocks per game as a rookie, recorded only 28 total blocks, and often went several games without recording a block at all.
Her length deterred shots at the rim and made guards think twice about whether they wanted to attack the basket, but she wasn’t actually blocking as many shots as you’d expect from someone with her size and athleticism. That is changing.
Malonga is now a full-time starter for the Storm and her stats have shot up all across the board, including her blocks. She is now averaging 1.3 blocks per game for the season and has already blocked more shots than last year with 36. That’s the ninth-most total blocks in the league. She has already logged five games with three or more blocks. Playing heavier minutes has obviously given her more opportunities to block shots, but she also seems to be picking up on player tendencies quickly and improving her timing to actually block shots instead of “just” bothering them.
Dominique Malonga’s game is developing quickly
Malonga grew immensely from the start of her rookie season to her first playoff experience. She never even played more than 12 minutes in May last year. Come September, she was going up against A’ja Wilson in the playoffs and recorded two double-doubles in 20+ minutes per game.
Not even a year later, Malonga is even better. She is averaging 17.1 points, 8.7 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.3 steals as one of just four 20-year-olds in the league. She is scoring easily on the inside, but her confidence is also clearly growing from behind the arc. As a rookie, she shot just 22.2% on 0.4 attempts per game. She made just four 3-pointers all season long. 25 games into her second season, she has already made 17.
A big who can dunk, block shots, AND space the floor is a scary sight. What makes Malonga so special is how young she is. She is still just scratching the surface and will only continue to add to her game—a scary vision for the Storm’s opponents and USA Basketball.
With Malonga, Awa Fam, Flau’jae Johnson, and a good 2027 draft pick coming in, Seattle has one of the scariest young cores in the WNBA. In just a few years, Malonga could be a top-five player in the W. After making her debut with the French senior national team at the 2024 Olympics, Malonga will also continue to grow on the international stage. The U.S. boasts a ton of young talent, but so does France with Malonga, Pauline Astier, Marine Fauthoux, Carla Leite, Janelle Salaün, and Nell Angloma, among others.
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