Nationwide — Dominique Malonga, a 19-year-old Black teen from France, has made history as the youngest player ever drafted by the WNBA. The Seattle Storm picked her second overall, making her one of the league’s newest stars.At 6-foot-6, Malonga first gained attention three years ago when videos of her dunking during practice went viral. In October, she became the first French woman to dunk in a game.
Malonga was born in Yaoundé, Cameroon, and moved to France at a young age. At 15, she joined Tony Parker’s ASVEL Féminin team. Parker nicknamed her the “Female Wemby,” comparing her to fellow French basketball star Victor Wembanyama.
This season, Malonga averaged 15.4 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 1.5 assists for Lyon ASVEL Féminin. She also led her team in the EuroCup Women’s competition, averaging 18.5 points and 11 rebounds per game.
After the draft, Malonga said she felt proud to represent French basketball on a global stage. “I was so proud to achieve that goal. It just showed that French basketball has evolved as we see in those past few years in the NBA side,” Malonga said, according to The Seattle Times.
Although Malonga’s debut with the Storm is uncertain due to her commitments in France, Seattle is eager to have her join once her season ends. General Manager Talisa Rhea shared that the team is prepared for the process and looks forward to welcoming her.
Malonga is the Storm’s highest draft pick since Breanna Stewart in 2016. She becomes the fifth international player to be selected in the top two of the WNBA draft. She turns 20 in November, meeting the age requirement for international players.
After being drafted, Malonga shared an emotional moment with her family. She hugged her mother first, saying, “It was symbolic to go to her first because she is one of the most important person of my life. She is one of the reason that I’m here today, and I really wanted to show that.”
“And of course, my family, my dad, my brothers and my sister, they are everything to me,” she added. “They’re the reason that I’m here today, and my motivation of every day. So, you could see that there was a lot of emotion between us. I’m so proud and happy to have been able to bring them here today.”