Dominique

Malonga

Following a first-round exit at the hands of the eventual champion Las Vegas Aces, the Storm parted ways with Noelle Quinn after five seasons at the helm. She’s been replaced by Raman, who becomes the first Indian-American head coach in WNBA history. A member of Sandy Brondello’s coaching staff with the Liberty this season, Raman spent the prior four seasons on Taylor Jenkins’ coaching staff in Memphis. Like many teams, the Storm have multiple key players who will be unrestricted free agents this offseason, including Skylar Diggins and Nneka Ogwumike. However, promising rookie Dominique Malonga is under contract for 2026 after playing well to finish the 2025 campaign.

Wheeler was the Storm’s best shot maker on Thursday night as she made six shots, the most across the entire Storm team. While she also wasn’t the most efficient, she tied Nneka Ogwumike for the most points scored from the Storm of the night. Wheeler was most effective getting downhill since she missed most of the three-pointers she took. Although her most important shot came with 19.3 seconds left in regulation where she hit a 12-foot jumper to give the Storm a one point lead. Skylar Diggins got the ball to Wheeler once again with 4.4 seconds left in regulation while the Storm was down just a point, but Wheeler missed a 15-foot jumper losing the Storm the game. Just like Diggins, Wheeler registered assists to five different teammates which included Ogwumike, Diggins, Gabby Williams, Ezi Magbegor and Dominique Malonga.

Malonga was one of the difference-makers for the Storm on both ends of the floor Tuesday night. She became the youngest player to record consecutive double-doubles in the postseason, but she was more impactful in her defense of A’ja Wilson. The Aces star did not score in the 7:06 of Game 2, with Malonga being her primary defender. Seattle took a measured approach to Malonga’s development this season, and she’s looked ready for prime time in her first two playoff games. A similar effort in Game 3 on Thursday would go a long way toward giving the Storm a chance of winning the series. Ezi Magbegor (4/5/3/1/2) may be the starter, but this is a series in which Malonga’s importance is magnified due to her height and athleticism.

The Storm turned to the rookie Malonga for instant offense when they had so much difficulty generating it. With Malonga having to play against former DPOY A’ja Wilson, it was much more difficult for her to score in her usual spots. She only scored twice in the paint in addition to hitting a pair of three-pointers in the second half. Malonga notched her fifth double-double since entering the WNBA this past May. She became the first rookie in Storm franchise history to deliver a double-double in the playoffs.

Malonga is back in the Storm’s lineup after a one-game absence due to a wrist injury. Her availability will provide Seattle with frontcourt depth ahead of a big matchup against the Sparks. The rookie has had a sensational second half of the season, averaging 11.9 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game since the All-Star Break. Last time out against the Sparks, she scored 20 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. Malonga will likely remain in a reserve role but will have a chance to stay productive on Monday down the stretch of her rookie season.

A left wrist injury has sidelined Malonga for Saturday’s game, with the Storm announcing the news about an hour before tipoff. Her absence leaves the Storm light on frontcourt options, which could prove problematic if starters Nneka Ogwumike and Ezi Magbegor get into foul trouble. Those players will likely take on more minutes, with the Storm sometimes going small.

Malonga bounced back from an eight-point performance in Seattle’s loss to Indiana by scoring in double figures on Thursday against Minnesota. The rookie center was poised, efficient from the field, and a presence on the defensive end. Her double-digit scoring outing marked the fourth in her last five games, as she concluded as Seattle’s leader in plus-minus (+16) on the night. Malonga continues to come up big for the Storm over the second half of the season and has a chance to continue to do so as Seattle tries to lock down a playoff spot in the coming weeks.

Malonga scored in double figures for the 12th time this season as she has set a Storm franchise record for having the most games in double-digits coming off the bench. Her performance on Sunday was her fourth double-double of the season. Malonga currently is tied for third in league history for most double-doubles coming off the bench in a single season. While Malonga’s offensive output continues to fuel the Storm’s inconsistent offense, her defensive struggles have persisted. Mystics center Shakira Austin feasted off of Malonga’s novice effort on the defensive end trying to protect the rim.

Mitchell had her most productive game offensively since July 13 when the Storm took on the Mystics where she also shot 71.4 % from the field on 5-of-7 shooting. Her field goals on Friday night were created in transition, on slashes to the basket and on mid-range pullups. Mitchell’s points in addition to the 22 from Dominque Malonga and 17 from Erica Wheeler allowed the Storm to outscore their opponent 62-60 just via the team’s bench points alone. This was the first time something like this has happened in WNBA history.

Wheeler was incredibly efficient in her 20 minutes coming off the bench. Two thirds of Wheeler’s made field goals came off three-pointers either in transition or on kick outs. This was Wheeler’s most efficient game from three since July 24. She also had four assists coming off the bench where she found Nneka Ogwumike on the block, Tiffany Mitchell slashing to the basket and Dominque Malonga running the floor in transition and slipping a screen.