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France's Dominique Malonga Introduces Herself on Social Media Before WNBA Draft

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Matt De Lima | Last updated Apr 14, 2025 5:12 PM ET

With UConn's Paige Bueckers a near-lock to be the first pick in the WNBA draft, many eyes are shifting to the Seattle Storm at No. 2 overall. A strong majority of WNBA mock drafts have France's Dominique Malonga projected to the Storm after a dominant 2024-25 season with the Lyon ASVEL Feminin.

Over 14 games in the Eurocup, she averaged 18.5 points, 11 rebounds and 1.4 assists.

At 6-foot-6, Malonga is viewed by many as the clear-cut top center prospect in this WNBA class.

On Monday, the WNBA's social media account shared a brief interview with Malonga, in which the 19-year-old talked about her game and what she wanted fans to know about her.

Remember the name: Dominique Malonga ✨

Meet the 19 year old, 6’6 center from France before tonight’s #WNBADraft presented by @StateFarm pic.twitter.com/75wYZ6AUX4
— WNBA (@WNBA) April 14, 2025

When asked about what she's most excited about, Malonga said, "discovering American culture, the American (basketball) game, how it is to play in America against the best players in the world."

With the 2024 Olympics team, Malonga won a silver medal with the French women's national basketball team. During her Olympic stint, she averaged 7.1 minutes, 2.8 points, 2.0 rebounds and 0.8 blocks. In October 2024, she became the first Frenchwoman to dunk in an official game.

Born in Yaounde, Cameroon, she is the daughter of parents who are both former basketball players. Blessed with a 7-foot-1 wingspan, Malonga will be one of the biggest players in the WNBA, as only nine players in the league are 6-foot-6 or taller.

Malonga made her international debut for France at the 2021 FIBA U16 Women's European Challengers. She averaged 19.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, 1.2 steals, and 2.8 blocks there as France eventually qualified for the 2022 FIBA Under-17 Women's Basketball World Cup.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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