Dominique Malonga wants LeBron James in attendance for her first dunk in the WNBA: 'He is my idol'

Malonga, the No. 2 pick in the WNBA Draft, became known for dunking with ease while playing in France

By Isabel Gonzalez

Apr 30, 2025 at 9:34 pm ET • 1 min read

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Dominique Malonga has already dunked while playing in France, but she is looking to bring that skill to the WNBA after being selected No. 2 overall by the Seattle Storm earlier this month. And when she finally dunks on another WNBA player, Malonga would like to see LeBron James sitting courtside.

"He is my idol, since I was a little kid," she said in an interview with We Need to Talk. "But I mean, it's LeBron James, there is no need to describe it."

Our full interview with @seattlestorm rookie Dominique Malonga is now LIVE!

She talks with @TallSWAG about going pro at 15, the WNBA Draft + who she wants sitting courtside for her first in-game dunk (paging @KingJames 👀)

Watch: https://t.co/uqxZv7bpFT pic.twitter.com/bJ6ABUVkxj
— We Need To Talk (@WeNeedToTalk) April 30, 2025

Malonga, now 19, turned pro at 15 years old, which is three years younger than James was when he started his NBA career in 2003. She is a fan of the four-time NBA champion, but her 6-foot-6 stature and style of play has gained her comparisons to a different player.

San Antonio Spurs legend Tony Parker has described her as the female version of Victor Wembanyama, another native of France who was the Spurs' No. 1 pick of the 2023 NBA Draft. Wembanyama's first dunk in the NBA happened in his first preseason game with the Spurs. There is no telling when Malonga will have her first one, but it wouldn't be surprising if it happened during her rookie year because she is already known for dunking with ease thanks to her athleticism.

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Jack Maloney

Lisa Leslie was the first player to ever dunk in a WNBA game. That happened in July 2002. Since then, only seven other players have been able to do it. Brittney Griner, who now plays for the Atlanta Dream, leads the way with 27 career dunks.

Earlier this month, Malonga's dunking skills went viral after Los Angeles Sparks forward Rickea Jackson shared a video of her on social media and said she hopes she doesn't get dunked on.