Despite being the youngest player ever drafted by the Seattle Storm, Dominique Malonga wasn’t new to the professional stage. She already had four years of experience competing in Europe. So, she was a coveted talent, and one of the continent’s premier clubs, Fenerbahçe Opet, was happy to sign her to a three-year deal. But just a week before her debut, things changed. According to BeBasket’s October 20 report, Malonga “unilaterally terminated” her contract “without any just cause.” The reason behind her sudden exit, however, isn’t what we thought.

Malonga explained her withdrawal by citing a dislocated wrist from the WNBA season and said she needed time to “breathe and refocus” during rehab. But that wasn’t the whole story. According to ESPN’s Kendra Andrews, just 10 days after leaving Fenerbahçe, Malonga ended up signing with Unrivaled.

She now joins 18 other players in the league, including Kelsey Plum, Paige Bueckers, Sonia Citron, Kiki Iriafen, Aari McDonald, Rebecca Allen, Veronica Burton, and Saniya Rivers, to play beginning January 5. But why would someone pull out of a top international league to play 3-on-3? Well, it’s a strategic move. According to BeBasket, Malonga earned roughly €90,000 (about $104,000 USD) in Turkey, while Unrivaled’s average salary hovers around $222,000.

According to an ESPN report on Thursday, players who want to compete in multiple leagues must go through FIBA’s “letter of clearance” system, a standard process in international basketball. This letter, approved by both the player’s team and national federation, confirms that the player has honored their existing contract and is free to play elsewhere. However, this rule wouldn’t apply to Unrivaled, meaning she can play there without any international clearance issues.

Fenerbahçe, however, wasn’t pleased with the pullout, and Malonga might have to pay some price. As the club posted on X, “We inform the public that we will exercise all our legal rights to seek compensation for any material and moral damages incurred by our club during this process.” It’s a tough blow for a team that holds 19 Turkish Women’s Basketball Super League titles, especially after losing Teaira McCowan to a wrist injury earlier this year. 

Let us not forget, however, that Malonga still needs a letter of clearance to participate in the 2026 WNBA season, and that’s quite a blow for the Seattle Storm. She played 42 games as a rookie with Seattle, averaging 7.7 points and 4.6 rebounds.

She even shot 55 percent from the field and, at just 19 years old, was the league’s youngest player last season to be selected for the WNBA All-Rookie Team. Getting her back on the roster is crucial for Seattle, especially since the team currently has only four players under contract for next season, and Malonga is one of them.

Under a first-time head coach, the Storm are already facing plenty of uncertainty, and Malonga’s absence is the last thing they need right now. After all, the organization has invested heavily in her development and fit within their system. If free agency doesn’t go their way, Malonga could very well be the ultimate bright spot for the team.

Still, as The Athletic’s Sabreena Merchant put it in a recent episode of Offseason, “I think it’s getting a little overblown… I would be incredibly surprised if Dominique Malonga were ineligible to suit up for the 2026 WNBA season.” So, all we can probably do right now is wait and see.

With Malonga, though, another Storm name was added to the Unrivaled’s roster.

Noelle Quinn is one of the Unrivaled coaches this season.

It’s been a month since the Seattle Storm parted ways with Noelle Quinn after their second consecutive first-round playoff exit. But it didn’t take long for Quinn, who spent a decade with the Storm, to find a new opportunity. On October 30, she officially signed with Unrivaled, becoming one of the eight head coaches for the league’s second season.

“We’re thrilled to add such exceptional talent to our head coaching roster in our second season, elevating the strong foundation established by our inaugural coaching staffs across Unrivaled,” shared Unrivaled’s GM Clare Duwelius. Considering Quinn’s three seasons on Seattle’s coaching staff and five as head coach, the praise seems more than justified.

But she isn’t the only fresh face joining Unrivaled this season. She’ll be accompanied by three other new head coaches- New York Liberty assistant Zach O’Brien, Chicago Sky assistant Rena Wakama, and Connecticut Sun assistant Roneeka Hodges. So yes, a possible reunion between Quinn and Dominique Malonga could be on the horizon. But will it actually happen? Stay tuned to find out.