Beyond The Court: Dominique Malonga’s Breakout Season Is Only The Beginning

At 20 years old, Dominique Malonga is already becoming accustomed to being first. In June, the Seattle Storm star scored a career-high 37 points against the Dallas Wings, making her the youngest player in league history to score at least 30 points in a game. Her sophomore season has now brought another first: a trip to the WNBA All-Star Game . Malonga admits she never saw the selection coming. A concussion forced her to miss games earlier in the season, leaving her unsure if she had played enough to earn consideration; but then came a call from WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert. “It was amazing actually,” Malonga says during our Zoom conversation. “I was really proud. It was a really emotional moment for me. I called my parents right away because I was really not expecting that at all.” Now, in her second season, Malonga is averaging 16.9 points and 7.3 rebounds per game while ranking among the league’s top centers in scoring. She has also become the youngest player to reach 500 career points and 200 rebounds. After playing a smaller role during her rookie season, increased minutes have given her an opportunity to display the game she spent years developing. “I don’t think I changed much in my preparation of how I work,” Malonga explains. “I always worked hard and I’ve always been ready for my moment, and I feel like this year was just my moment. I just have way more minutes, a different role, but I don’t think that I change anything in terms of how I get prepared.” CHICAGO, …