WNBA GMs think highly of Dominique Malonga, so much so that the majority selected her as the rookie who will be the best player in the league in five years in the annual GM survey. The Seattle Storm selected the six-foot-six center with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 draft after acquiring the selection as part of the multi-team Jewell Loyd and Kelsey Plum deal.
Seattle traded Loyd to Las Vegas, and the Aces sent Plum to the Sparks. The Storm received the No. 2 pick in the draft (via the Sparks) and Li Yueru. Los Angeles lost the Paige Bueckers sweepstakes to Dallas at the draft lottery, so the team decided to ditch the pick for Plum.
It was bittersweet for Storm fans to see Loyd go after she requested a trade, even after her down 2024 season. She spent her first 10 seasons in the league in Seattle and won two WNBA championships. However, it's a trade that the team would do 100 times over because it led them to Malonga.
The 19-year-old was born in Cameroon and moved to Paris when she was 10. She began to play professionally when she was 15. Malonga signed with ASVL in 2021, where Tony Parker, the club owner, referred to her as "the female version of Victor Wembanyama." Both are supremely talented for their size, a rare combination, so the comparisons make sense. However, Malonga said she wants to be known for her game, not his.
WNBA GMs think highly of Storm center Dominique Malonga
There is a very real chance that Malonga could be the best 2025 rookie in the league in five years, and that's no disrespect to Paige Bueckers. Malonga's skillset is unique, and her ceiling is so high. She can do a little bit of everything on the court — and she's still a teenager.
Seattle's 2024 season didn't go as hoped after signing Skylar Diggins and Nneka Ogwumike in free agency to form what was labeled a superteam. The Aces swept the Storm in the first round, leading to a flurry of questions about what Seattle should do in the offseason. The front office delivered by re-signing Ogwumike and Gabby Williams, but they also found their future face of the franchise.
One of the players that Malonga grew up watching was Breanna Stewart, which couldn't be more fitting. Seattle hopes its young star will lead the Storm to more titles, and those odds look good as long as the organization plays its cards right.