Dominique Malonga announced herself at the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers with a thundering dunk. Playing against the Philippines, Malonga stole the ball at half court and jogged to the rim, casually slamming it in. She went on to drop 21 points and 9 rebounds in the 115-66 win. Malonga followed that up with an 8-point, 3-rebound performance in the 88-48 win against Columbia. Unfortunately for Team France, she will not participate for the rest of the tournament. 

“Having suffered a head injury on Thursday evening during the match against Colombia, French national team player Dominique Malonga underwent further examinations on Friday in Lyon,” the French federation announced. “The results of these tests confirmed that Dominique Malonga suffered a concussion, preventing her from immediately resuming physical activity.”

The announcement further confirmed that she, the 2025 No. 2 pick for Storm, has been ruled out for the rest of the qualifiers. “The French national team player is therefore out for the remainder of the World Cup Qualifying Tournament, which runs until March 17 at the Astroballe arena in Villeurbanne,” it concluded. Unlike Team USA, the French need to actually qualify from these games for the World Cup. They need as much firepower as they need for their upcoming games.

So far, Malonga was one of their best players, scoring 14.5 points per game (2nd most on the team) and a block per game (2nd), while being their most efficient player as well. She was also coming off a great Unrivaled season where she averaged 16.4 points and 9.4 rebounds for Team Breeze.  However, a concussion to the head is no joke. If left untreated, the player risks worse headaches, dizziness and nausea. A second hit could make matters worse. 

Fortunately for Malonga and the Seattle Storm, the general recovery time is around 14 days. So, her WNBA season is almost certainly not impacted. For Team France, Malonga’s absence should not keep them from a World Cup spot. In fact, looking at their squad, they have the potential to upset Team USA. 

Team France Look To Solidify Their Challenger Tag Without Dominique Malonga

The 19 year old No.2 pick  who dunks is naturally the most popular name in this French squad. She slowly but surely made a name for herself by the end of the 2025 season. Malonga showed why the Storm picked her at No. 2, finishing with averages of 7.7 points and 4.6 rebounds. Her ceiling is arguably the highest in the 2025 draft class. The female, “Wemby,” as she is called, wants to show French basketball’s rise. 

“We see Wemby or Zaccharie Risacher that show that French basketball is great. And now with the women, so me, it just shows that it’s not only men French players, it’s also women. It’s just French basketball in general,” Malonga said last year at the Rookie draft. Even without Malonga, this team is a force to be reckoned with. 

8 Olympic silver medalists from Paris 2024 are present: Valériane Ayayi, Marième Badiane, Romane Bernies, Marine Johannes, Leïla Lacan, iliana Rupert, Janelle Salaün and Gabby Williams. They are joined by Pauline Astier and Migna Touré, who have already played with the French national team at Euro 2025.  

To earn that qualification order to challenge Team USA, France must finish in the top 2 of Group A to qualify for the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup, as host Germany and continental champion Nigeria are already auto-qualified. With 2 wins out of 2, they are already at the top of the table. Another win will almost guarantee their spot, as their high point differential of +89 is unlikely to be overshadowed. Regardless, this team will look to win all three of their games to justify their ‘challenger’ tag for the 2026 World Cup in September.