Remember the anonymous player poll ‘The Athletic’ ran in July about who was most likely to become the face of the WNBA in the next five years? Caitlin Clark topped it at 53.8%, outshining Juju Watkins, Paige Bueckers, Angel Reese, and A’ja Wilson. But one name wasn’t even in the conversation back then. I’m talking about 19-year-old Dominique Malonga. Interestingly, her name has begun to pop up in discussions now.

Young talent is often unpolished and looks lost on the court in their initial games, but Malonga is different. The French center has been playing professional basketball since she was just 16 and was drafted by the Seattle Storm as the No. 2 overall pick in April’s 2025 WNBA Draft. Ever since then, she has been all about breaking records, such as becoming the youngest player in WNBA history to record a career double-double or the youngest player to score 100 career points.

No wonder veteran Skylar Diggins spoke about Malonga’s extraordinary potential in an interview after Seattle’s playoff exit. When asked about the team’s path forward and what it would take to reach the next level, Diggins didn’t hesitate: “Obviously, we know the potential of Dom. We got to see her in stretches this year and what she can do. And, you know, she’ll be the face of this organization for a very long time.” Storm, valued at $330 million in Forbes’ 2025 rankings as the third-most valuable WNBA franchise, has already begun framing her as its future.

On a July evening in Chicago, the Storm bounced back from a tough loss to Dallas with a 95-57 rout, and Malonga was at the center of it. Subbing in early in the first quarter, she spent over 17 minutes on the floor, scoring 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting and grabbing 10 rebounds. That night marked her first career double-double, and with her 100th career point scored in the process, she became the youngest player in league history to hit both milestones. Just a week later, she added another record by becoming the youngest player to reach 100 rebounds. Diggins, who had been watching her closely, said afterward, “It shows her potential of what she can do in this league. But it also shows what she can do right now.”

From that breakthrough in Chicago, Malonga’s role on the Storm grew rapidly. In the first 23 games of the season, she averaged under 10 minutes per game and 4.1 points, but after earning more trust from coaches and teammates, her minutes jumped to 20.7 and 12.0 points in the next 19 games. It doesn’t stop there.

On August 10, she recorded 20 points and 11 rebounds against the Sparks. That made her the 11th all-time rookie to score back-to-back double-doubles and the first to do it shooting 70-plus percent in two games (72.7% at the Aces; 75% at the Sparks). No wonder head coach Noelle Quinn praised her rapid development. Two weeks ago, Quinn stated, “She’s learning the league, learning how to find a way to play well and within herself and within our system… She has put in the work on the court and in film sessions to understand what we need from her. She has grown up before our eyes.“

Even in the playoffs, Malonga’s impact was evident. Despite Seattle’s first-round exit, she hit a clutch go-ahead and-1 layup in Game 2 with under a minute remaining, drawing praise from Diggins for her poise. Clearly, Malonga’s start has been special, but Clark’s arrival in Indiana last year pulled the spotlight onto the WNBA in a way few players ever have. Her debut numbers, her highlights, the national TV slots— they all set the stage Malonga is walking into now.

Why Caitlin Clark’s reign as the ‘face of the league’ has been undisputed- till now

When Caitlin Clark exploded onto the WNBA scene back in 2024, she averaged 19.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 8.4 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. She became an All-Star, set rookie records (most assists in a season, most points by a rookie, most threes by a rookie), and led the Indiana Fever back into the playoffs for the first time since 2016. But her impact went well beyond the box score. 

Clark’s debut game was a ratings magnet: when the Fever played Connecticut on May 14, 2024, that was the most-watched WNBA game on ESPN platforms. It witnessed 2.1 million viewers across ESPN2, ESPN+, and Disney+. Her All-Star Game rookie year also shattered old records: 3.44 million viewers on ABC, peaking over 4 million, far exceeding previous benchmarks for WNBA All-Star viewership.

Her 2024 campaign ended with the Fever’s first postseason berth since 2016. And even when the games themselves turned messy, like her bruising playoff debut against Connecticut, when she missed 10 of her first 11 shots and walked off with a black eye, Clark’s pull never wavered. That’s why, even with players like Dominique Malonga and Paige Bueckers putting up historic rookie seasons of their own, Clark’s gravitational pull remained unmatched. But who knows, maybe that’s about to change?