Everything you need to know about the most interesting player in the WNBA Draft

Dominique Malonga was drafted No. 2 overall to the Seattle Storm, and the dunking machine is one of the best prospects to be drafted in years.

When the Seattle Storm traded Jewell Loyd away for the No. 2 Overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, they knew it was because they could get an excellent player. Not just excellent, but a generational franchise player to lead them into their next chapter. While Paige Bueckers was the unanimous No. 1 overall pick this year, it became clear in the weeks leading up to the draft that the presumed No. 2 pick may also be a historically good player.

It all started when Olivia Miles decided to go back for another year in college instead of declare for the draft. In the fallout of that, Dominique Malonga’s name was tossed into the second spot in the draft after floating in the top five all year. Once people started actually diving deeper into Malonga as a prospect... it was pretty much certain that Seattle would not miss out on the chance to pick her up.

Now the highest drafted player to ever come out of France, Malonga may be one of the best players to enter the WNBA in years — just from a basis of being league-ready. In recent very guard heavy drafts, she certainly has a case to be the best front court player to be drafted in recent history. Even if Miles had decided to enter the draft, there is evidence to suggest that Malonga would have probably gone No. 2 anyway.

A silver medalist at the Paris 2024 Olympics, Malonga is just 19 years old and has been playing professionally in Europe since 2021. French basketball leagues are starting to rise in level of talent — think about all of the NBA talent France has produced in recent years. Not only does she have that experience playing against high-level competition in the EuroLeague, but her physical measurements alone jump off the page.

Malonga is 6’6” tall and has a 7’1” wingspan, with large hands to match her height. She can dunk the ball in a way that makes it look easy, and frequently does so during games. Not only does she have the skills of a post player — rebounding, post scoring, and rim protection — but she can also handle the basketball as well as shoot from beyond the three-point line. At 19 years old, she not only has immense potential, but the tried skills to prove she will be a star. She’s also the youngest person to ever be drafted into the WNBA.

Her potential with the Storm in particular is immense. Seattle is known to take chances on international talent, including with their current front court trail blazer Ezi Magbegor, drafted in 2019 out of Australia. The idea of pairing Magbegor (25 years old) with Malonga (19) for a number of years in Seattle should be scary to other teams. Both are players with immense versatility, and if Malonga can operate and defend from anywhere on the floor while Magbegor dominates in the post, then Seattle is going to be dangerous.

Malonga is a testament to European basketball, where young players are not taught about traditional positioned basketball. Each player, no matter your height, is put through guard, wing, and post drills all together. Regardless of position, players learn how to handle the ball at a young age in Europe, with positional confines rarely enforced in youth basketball. Once players start playing professionally or at a higher level, they then start to be trained specifically in those niched positions, but they still have retained all those other skills.

The result has been a surge of unique and versatile European players, especially the tall ones. When you’re a 6’6” women’s player like Malonga or a 7’3” men’s player like Victor Wembanyama, and can work under the hoop, but also operate like a guard? Well, you have serious MVP potential.

When you consider that Loyd actively wanted out of Seattle, and the Storm not only traded the six-time All-Star to her preferred destination, but were also able to secure the future for themselves, the only conclusion is that it’s a great trade for them. Malonga is not only a draft steal, even at No.2, but also a franchise cornerstone who can impact this team for many years to come.

In years to come, when we look back at this draft class, of course Bueckers will have had a huge impact on the league. Yet Malonga, too, will likely end up as a phenomenal star that defines the 2025 draft.