Incredibly, the Seattle Storm are still alive in 2025.
The seventh-seeded Storm ended the Las Vegas Aces‘ 17-game winning streak on Tuesday night, rallying from a 14-point deficit to win, 86-83, and force a winner-take-all Game 3 of this first-round series back in Vegas on Thursday night.
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Though Skylar Diggins (26 points) and Nneka Ogwumike (24 points, 10 rebounds) were the driving forces behind Seattle’s first playoff win in three years, 19-year-old Dominique Malonga may have been the unsung hero of a dramatic evening at Climate Pledge Arena.
Malonga, the #2 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, has seen her role expand over the course of her rookie season — and her defense in the fourth quarter of Tuesday night’s game was nothing short of spectacular.
Using her length and versatility, the 6’6” Malonga harassed guards Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young as the game neared its conclusion. Most impressively perhaps, she shut down potential MVP A’ja Wilson down the stretch, giving Seattle a fighting chance at making a comeback.
dominique malonga defense during storm’s comeback in game 2 vs aces pic.twitter.com/aBz9ny88VO
— jack maloney (@jackmaloneycbs) September 17, 2025
In 23 minutes, Malonga had a double-double, scoring 11 points and hauling in 10 rebounds while blocking two shots. If the Storm are to do this again, and eliminate the Aces on Thursday, then Seattle will need every bit of Malonga magic to help them reach the WNBA semifinals.
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