SEATTLE — The Seattle Storm’s season has been defined by growing pains and a mounting loss total, but the development of some of the team’s youngest players has provided reasons for optimism about the future.
As Seattle looks ahead, attention is increasingly turning toward the pieces that could become part of the franchise’s long-term plans.
At the center of that conversation is Dominique Malonga.
The 20-year-old center, selected by Seattle with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA draft, has taken a significant step forward in her second season. Malonga is averaging 17.2 points, nine rebounds and 1.7 assists per game.
Her breakout season also earned Malonga her first WNBA All-Star selection. She was selected as a reserve for the 2026 WNBA All-Star Game, becoming an All-Star at just 20 years old.
Malonga made the most of the opportunity, finishing with 12 points and 13 rebounds in the All-Star Game in Chicago. She also threw down a first-half dunk, becoming just the fifth player to dunk in a WNBA All-Star Game and the first to do so since Sylvia Fowles in 2022.
Her recent performances have offered more glimpses of her potential. Malonga scored 31 points and grabbed 10 rebounds against the New York Liberty on Aug. 5 and had 26 points and 10 rebounds against the Chicago Sky on Aug. 10. She followed that with 19 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks against Chicago on Aug. 16.
Malonga is not the only reason for optimism. Seattle’s young core has received significant opportunities during a difficult season, giving the organization a chance to evaluate which players could develop alongside Malonga in the years ahead.
There is also the team’s fight. Despite struggling in the standings, the Storm have continued to play close games. Seattle fell 84-82 to the Portland Fire on Aug. 14 and 82-80 to Chicago two days later.
And then there are the fans, who have continued to support the franchise as Seattle works through its growing pains and looks toward what comes next.
That leaves several potential reasons for Storm fans to believe better days could be ahead: an emerging All-Star in Malonga, the development of the young core, the team’s continued fight, or the support surrounding the franchise.