Before she was picked by the Seattle Storm with the second overall pick in the 2025 WNBA draft, a lot of folks heard about how Dominique Malonga could dunk.
And now, for the first time on a hardwood in the U.S., fans have seen her do it in a game.
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Playing for Breeze BC in Unrivaled on Saturday night, Malonga threw down a right-handed jam with ease after getting a pass from Rickea Jackson in the first quarter against the Lunar Owls.
The dunk was the first of this season for any player in Unrivaled, but not the first in the history of the fledgling two-year-old 3-on-3 league. Brittney Griner dunked in a game last season.
Still, the jam was the first for Malonga’s professional career in the U.S., since she didn’t have a dunk during her rookie campaign with the Seattle Storm. The 6-foot-6, 20-year-old forward from France finished Saturday night’s game with 21 points and eight rebounds in a 75-68 win for Breeze.
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“It feels really good. I was practicing a lot,” Malonga said after the game. “I don’t want to be a practice (dunker), I want to do that in-game. So, I’m happy about that … I was happy to feel the love from the whole arena, actually. Everybody was so hyped up — it was a great moment.”
This is Malonga’s first season playing in Unrivaled. She made the WNBA’s All-Rookie team last season after averaging 7.7 points and 4.6 rebounds per game while shooting 55.1% from the floor. She also finished fourth in Sixth Player of the Year voting.
Malonga also figures to be a staple for years to come on the French national team. She was the youngest player on the team at the 2024 Olympics when the French finished with a silver medal.
The Breeze — which also features WNBA Rookie of the Year Paige Bueckers — plays again on Monday at 8:45 p.m. ET on TNT against the Laces.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Watch: WNBA star Dominique Malonga dunks in Unrivaled game
