With the 2025 Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) season just weeks away, the Seattle Storm bolstered their roster by drafting four new players. The group is headlined by #2 overall pick Dominique Malonga, a 6-foot-6-inch center from France. 

The three-round draft kicked off the evening of April 14, with the Dallas Wings selecting University of Connecticut guard Paige Bueckers first overall. Then, it was the Storm’s turn to make their first round selection, the highest pick the franchise has had since they took Breanna Stewart first overall in 2016. 

In a draft full of league-worthy talent, the Storm opted for Malonga, whose size, finishing and shooting ability make her an intriguing prospect. Malonga has spent the past few years playing professional basketball with French club LDLC ASVEL Feminin. In 14 games this season, Malonga has averaged 18.5 points and 11 rebounds per game.

Storm fans such as Third-year International Studies Major Diego Borromeo are excited to see Malonga play in green and yellow. 

“I love Dominique Malonga. She’s a beast in the paint, I can’t wait to see what she does alongside Nneka [Ogwumike] and Skylar Diggins-Smith,” Borromeo said.

As Borromeo mentioned, there’s a lot for Storm fans to like about Malonga. Standing at 6 feet 6 inches, she is now one of the WNBA’s tallest players. Despite being slotted as a center, she handles the ball like a guard and has a deep bag of crafty post moves. Oh, and she can dunk— Malonga is the first Frenchwoman to perform an in-game dunk ever.

Malonga also brings a winning history to the Storm. She has found success playing for the French national team, winning a silver medal during the 2024 Olympics. While her role in Olympic play was small, she was impressively the youngest player on her team at 18 years old. In 2025, Malonga will take a larger role with the national team as they compete in the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) EuroBasket qualifiers.

While Malonga brings a bright future to the Storm, fans also recognize that the team had to give up a key player to draft her. Following a disappointing first round exit against the Las Vegas Aces, the team knew they needed to make some changes. The change they determined they needed was trading franchise cornerstone Jewell Loyd, who alleged the coaching staff mistreated and bullied its players last season.

The Storm shipped Loyd to the Aces in a three-team trade that also involved the Los Angeles Sparks. Alongside sending Loyd to the Aces, the Storm also sent the 9th overall pick and a 2026 second round pick to the Sparks. In return, the Storm received the second overall pick, a 2026 first round pick from the Aces and center Li Yueru from the Sparks.

Abby Cea, an Aces fan and third-year public affairs major, believes that the trade will benefit all parties involved, especially Loyd.

“[Jewell] being on the Storm at a younger age, and then losing a lot of leadership with Brianna Stewart and Sue Bird [leaving and retiring], it was kind of like she was thrown into a leadership role at an age that was too early,” Cea said. “I’m interested to see how she does with the Aces now that she’s a little older.”

Loyd will be missed, but many fans acknowledge that it’s time for the Storm to look to the future. Cea believes that the addition of Malonga and Li, who stands at 6 feet 7 inches, could be a dangerous duo in the WNBA.

The Storm also selected three players in the third round of this year’s draft: guards Serena Sundell, Madison Conner and Jordan Hobbs. With forward Jordan Horston and guard Nika Muhl sustaining season-ending injuries, it’s possible that the players have a shot at making the team’s roster. 

With the 2025 season starting May 16, the Storm’s roster is coming together. The team enters year two with co-stars Diggins-Smith and Ogwumike, who both joined the Storm in 2024. Additionally, the young backcourt trio of center Ezi Magbegor, Li and the newly-drafted Malonga should develop into one of the league’s best.

“I think it’s going to take a bit of time [for the young players to develop], but they’ve got Gabby Williams, they’ve got Skylar Diggins-Smith, they have Nneka [Ogwumike], all these senior level players are going to help them acclimate to the league faster,” Cea said.

In what could be one of the WNBA’s best seasons yet, the Storm are ready for the future.