Dom Malonga

Dominique Malonga is a French professional basketball player who plays center for the Seattle Storm in the WNBA and for the France national team. She made history in 2025 as the youngest player ever drafted into the WNBA, going second overall. Malonga is known for her rare combination of size, mobility, and skill, she can block shots, run the floor, and finish above the rim, becoming the first Frenchwoman to dunk in a professional game. Her rookie season was so strong that she was a top contender for Sixth Woman of the Year, ranking first among all WNBA reserves in field goals, rebounds, and blocks. She also won a silver medal with France at the 2024 Paris Olympics. As of 2026, she is an All-Star and already setting records, including becoming the youngest player in WNBA history to score 30-plus points in a game. [edit]

Malonga was born in Yaoundé, Cameroon, to Thalance Malonga and Agathe N'Nindjem-Yolemp, both former basketball players. Her father is also a doctor. She is the fourth of six children. At age 15, she moved to France to pursue basketball more seriously, joining ASVEL Féminin, the club owned by Tony Parker. Before that, she played for Tarbes Gespe Bigorre in the French league.

At 16, videos of her dunking in practice went viral, drawing international attention. Her early European career was marked by rapid development, and in October 2024 she became the first Frenchwoman to dunk in a professional game. She also represented France at the youth level before earning a spot on the senior national team for the 2024 Olympics, where she was the youngest player on the roster and came away with a silver medal. [edit]

Malonga's breakthrough came in April 2025 when the Seattle Storm selected her with the second overall pick in the WNBA draft, making her the youngest player ever drafted at 19 years old. She immediately made an impact off the bench, averaging double-digit points and leading all reserves in six statistical categories by the end of the regular season. Her performance earned her serious consideration for Sixth Woman of the Year.

In 2026, she took another leap. On June 22, she dropped a career-high 37 points and 12 rebounds against the Dallas Wings, becoming the youngest player in WNBA history to score 30-plus points in a game. That July, she was selected to her first WNBA All-Star Game. She also suited up for France in the 2026 FIBA World Cup qualifying tournament. Off the court, she signed endorsement deals and began building her brand as one of the league's rising faces. [edit]

Malonga is widely seen as a transformative talent, a 6-foot-6 center who moves like a guard and can dunk with ease. Media coverage often highlights her historic draft position and her humble, team-first attitude in interviews. Fans have embraced her as a symbol of the next generation of women's basketball, and her social media following has grown rapidly. She carries herself with a quiet confidence, letting her play speak for itself. Her dunks and highlight-reel blocks regularly go viral, and she is often compared to a young Brittney Griner for her two-way impact. [edit]

Dom Malonga's fanbase is young, organic, and growing in real time. There's no formal fandom name yet, fans simply call her 'Dom' or refer to her by her nicknames, 'phenom' and 'dunking phenom.' Her rise has been so rapid that her community is still forming, but it's already energized by a series of 'firsts' that bind them together: her first All-Star selection, her first orange carpet, and, most famously, her first dunk in an All-Star Game. That dunk, in July 2026, became the story fans tell newcomers first. The WNBA's official channels and major outlets amplified the moment, and her 37-point career-high game, dubbed 'the youngest to ever do it,' added to the lore. Malonga herself has been notably accessible, taking fans behind the scenes with PEOPLE at the All-Star orange carpet and engaging directly on Instagram, where she announced her mentoring role with Voice in Sport. She's positioned herself as a role model for young women in STEM, a narrative that Women's Health highlighted.

As of August 2026, iFANN's Global Fame Engine has evaluated Dom Malonga, but she does not currently hold a placement in the published rankings, neither the Global Top 1,000 nor any Top-100 scope list. Her fame is undeniable, with viral dunks and a historic rookie season generating media coverage and fan enthusiasm worldwide, but the rankings have yet to catch up with her trajectory.[edit]

Dom Malonga is as fascinating off the court as she is on it. She's pursuing a computer science degree online through Southern New Hampshire University, a path that sets her apart as a pro athlete with a tech-focused mind. To decompress after games, she plays the piano, a hobby that offers a quiet contrast to her explosive play. Her viral dunking videos at age 16 were originally posted by her club team, foreshadowing her historic career. She became the first Frenchwoman to dunk at the senior level in both professional and national team play. Growing up, her favorite player was LeBron James, and she speaks both French and English fluently. In 2026, she added to her legend with a dunk in the WNBA All-Star Game, a moment that instantly became iconic. That same year, she scored a career-high 37 points in a regular-season game, a performance the WNBA celebrated as 'the youngest to ever do it.' Her rapid rise has led the Seattle Times to declare she is 'arriving sooner than expected,' a narrative that now defines her young career.[edit]

Malonga's parents, Thalance Malonga and Agathe N'Nindjem-Yolemp, both played basketball professionally. Her father is also a medical doctor. She has five siblings, making her the fourth of six children. The family moved from Cameroon to France to support her basketball dreams. She is close with her family and often credits them for her work ethic. As of 2026, she lives in Seattle during the WNBA season and returns to France in the offseason. [edit]

Malonga is coached by Noelle Quinn with the Seattle Storm. She played for ASVEL Féminin, a club owned by former NBA star Tony Parker. She has been teammates with Breanna Stewart and Jewell Loyd on the Storm. Her parents, Thalance Malonga and Agathe N'Nindjem-Yolemp, were both professional basketball players. [edit]

Dominique Malonga keeps her personal life private. There are no public records or credible reports of her dating anyone. As of 2026, she is believed to be single and focused on her basketball career and studies. [edit]

As of 2026, iFANN currently estimates Dom Malonga's net worth at $1 million. Her primary income comes from her WNBA rookie-scale contract with the Seattle Storm, which includes a base salary and performance bonuses. She also earns from endorsement deals with sportswear and lifestyle brands, though specific terms have not been disclosed. Her net worth is expected to grow significantly as she signs her first major endorsements and potentially a rookie extension in the coming years.[edit]

Malonga won a silver medal with the French national team at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. She has not yet won individual WNBA awards but was a top contender for Sixth Woman of the Year in her rookie season. [edit]