The Indiana Fever just aren’t the team they were about a month ago. They aren’t hiding behind Caitlin Clark’s absence, and neither are they pointing fingers at physicality. That performance against the Wings? The Fever upped their defense, locked opponents’ actions, and guarded that arc to force a 10-point win. It was Aliyah Boston & Co., yet again announcing they had arrived. So how does one proceed to face someone as charged? Seattle Storm rookie has an answer.

The Clark-less Fever carried their energy into the Climate Pledge Arena on Sunday night, looking for a 5th-straight win. And they did not disappoint. Boston picked up her sixth straight double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds, while Natasha Howard scored 21 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists to add further support. Trying to hold them down on the other end? No.2 draft pick Dominique Malonga. 

The phenom is the youngest player in the league, but even with her age, her talent surpasses her reputation. Dubbed the female “Wemby,” she gave a tough fight to Boston and Co., scoring 12 points, with 5 rebounds and 2 assists in her 20 minutes in this game. Following the matchup, the French star detailed how she approached facing one of the best forwards in the league in Aliyah Boston. 

“The challenge of going against Aliyah Boston, and how you felt?” the reporter asked. Malonga had a simple answer, expected of a competitor. 

“It’s for me, it’s just about going in the game, whoever is the opponent, and just bringing the energy that I can bring. They’re not asking much from me. They’re just asking me to bring the energy. Go out there and be 100%. So that’s what I try to do.” 

Boston is two years in her development as compared to Malonga. She is the 2023 Rookie of the Year, and her experience is what sets the two apart. Physically, Malonga had a slight edge in height, standing at 6’5. But even when the rookie went full throttle against Boston, the Fever forward was smarter when it came to post play. 

“She’s really the rock of our team. She’s even-keeled. She has a high IQ. Everybody trusts her on both ends of the floor. And she’s our backbone, and she’s been tremendous for us all year long,” Stephanie White said. Boston is averaging a career-high 15.5 points, and team-high rebounds and assists at 8.3 and 3.8, respectively. That performance against the Storm was her 6th-straight double-double and a 13th overall. So you heard White, she’s been a crucial force in Fever’s comeback. 

By comparison, Malonga is just starting her journey against the elite, averaging 10.8 minutes, 5.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 0.8 assists. So Boston wasn’t her only threat. Damiris Dantas, Brazil’s AmeriCup All-Star, has a knack for explosive performances when the team needs her. A proven 6′ 4″ center for about a decade, coming off a 12-point, 3-rebound performance against Phoenix, she would pose quite a challenge. But Malonga was up for the task. 

She said, “When I scout, I scout all the post players. So, I’m ready to defend any of the post. So, yeah, it was just about being focused on the scout with her (Dantas). We knew that she could shoot the ball. So, it was a little bit different from her than Boston or Howard, but in general, it’s just about being ready for any post. So, when I do my scouting, I just guard all the posts better.”

Dantas was a much better matchup for Malonga in this game as she managed to outfox her several times at the post. She played for 10 minutes, scoring just 6 points without any rebounds. While she won that battle, Howard was too overwhelming for the rookie. Regardless, her performance was still encouraging for the Storm as she became the youngest player in WNBA history to reach 100 career points and 100 rebounds, hitting both milestones in just 27 games. Like Nneka Oguwumika said, she is ‘wise beyond her years,’ and their decision to draft Malonga is looking like a good one. 

Storm’s Malonga Pick Could Pay Off In The Long Run

Malonga was a bit of a wildcard among the eventual top four — Paige Bueckers, Sonia Citron, and Kiki Iriafen, all of whom made the All-Star rosters. Her clips of dunking and reputation were all she had while turning up in the WNBA, while the other two had years of experience in the country’s college basketball circuit. The French talent had to adjust to life in the USA, which couldn’t have been easy. However, as the season goes on, Malonga is proving to be the right choice for the Storm. 

By pure numbers, the other three are way ahead, but the draft picks are never about the first season. It’s about finding the person who fits your system the best. If they had picked Citron instead, it is unlikely that she would have received the minutes instead of Gabby Williams, an already established, versatile guard. Iriafen is a similar player to Malonga, the 6-3 post likely would have difficulty finding minutes in a front line that includes All-Star forward Nneka Ogwumike and center Ezi Magbegor.

Sure enough, Malonga has not received a similar opportunity, but the management took a punt on the Frenchwoman, and her recent performances prove some of the doubters wrong. 

Oguwumike mentioned in her post-match interview, “She understands the game very well, and there’s also a maturity about how she approaches the game and I can tell that she wants to learn, you know, but I’m also learning from her.”

That is some high praise from a veteran. And like Storm coach Noelle Quinn said before the season, “You can’t judge Dom like you would most rookies. For starters, she’s joining a team with a loaded frontcourt in Nneka, Ezi, and Li (Yueru, who was traded to Dallas on June 14). … So, she’s not going to get the same minutes.” 

The bet is on her talent, and we have seen flashes of it when she has received the opportunity. In the last three games, she has had around 20 minutes and gradually converted her talent into results. In all the games she has received 15+ minutes, she is averaging 11 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.4 blocks, and 1.4 assists. At just 19, Malonga is yet to be used at full throttle by the Storm, and she still has some development to do. But the talent is evident, and the time is on her side. As of now, she will learn from how Boston and Howard ran things with Fever top scorer Kelsey Mitchell off colour and bring that flavour into her game going forward.