Dominique Malonga stats tonight: Storm rookie underwhelms in limited time off the bench in loss to Mercury (May 17)

The Seattle Storm selected Dominique Malonga with the No. 2 pick in the 2025 WNBA draft out of France. Malonga didn't have a lot of fanfare, unlike Paige Bueckers. Nevertheless, she caught the eye of fans after Tony Parker described her as the "female version" of Victor Wembanyama.

Standing at 6-foot-6, the 19-year-old went viral after dunking during the Storm's training camp. She didn't play in Seattle's lone preseason game, so she officially made her WNBA debut on the road on Saturday night against the Phoenix Mercury.

But how did the Storm rookie perform versus Alyssa Thomas, Satou Sabally and the rest of the Mercury? Malonga finished with just two points in less than 10 minutes of action as Phoenix earned a dominating 81-59 win.

Here are Dominique Malonga's stats for the game:

Players	PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	MIN	FG	3PT	FT	+/-
Dominique Malonga	2	0	0	0	0	0	1	9:31	1-2	0-0	0-0	-4

---

Dominique Malonga comes off the bench in WNBA debut

It was a forgettable debut for Dominique Malonga, finishing with just two points in 10 minutes of action. However, it was possibly an unforgettable moment for Malonga, who at 19, was the youngest player in Seattle Storm history. She looked overwhelmed in her debut, forgetting to box out and looking lost at times.

Malonga also found her way to the paint during garbage time, but her teammates failed to give her the ball. Despite the underwhelming nature of her debut, the future is bright for the French prospect, according to coach Noelle Quinn.

"She's young and there’s so much for her to learn, but she’s hungry to do it and we have a plan in place in how we want to bring her along," Quinn told the Seattle Times.

---

Dominique Malonga not feeling pressure to be good instantly

Despite not having the hype compared to Paige Bueckers, the praises from NBA legends such as Tony Parker have put pressure on Dominique Malonga. However, Malonga is feeling comfortable with the Seattle Storm for not expecting her to be good out of the gate.

It’s all about acclimating herself in the WNBA after playing the first four seasons of her pro career in France.

"I’m grateful because I’m on the team where I don’t see that you have to be good right now," Malonga said, according to the Seattle Times. "I don’t feel that pressure. I really feel that they’re just happy for me to be there, and they just want me to be good, and so they help me through that path."

Malonga’s next opportunity to shine is on Monday when the Storm visit Bueckers and the Dallas Wings at the College Park Center in Arlington, Texas.