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

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.”

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.

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.

Malonga was absent as the Storm’s training camp opened last weekend because she just recently wrapped up her season with ASVEL in France. 

The Storm’s lone preseason game is set for Sunday at 6 p.m., and they will officially tip off their season on May 17 against the Phoenix Mercury.