Storm's Dominique Malonga takes big step in return from concussion

The timetable on a return remains unclear, but Dominique Malonga took a major step in resuming her highly anticipated second season with the Storm when she joined the team for shoot-around drills on Wednesday.

Several hours before hosting the Phoenix Mercury at Climate Pledge Arena, Malonga, who is in the concussion protocol, participated in a morning workout at the team's practice facility.

She won't play against the Mercury (2-8) and will miss her eighth straight game, but seeing the 6-foot-6 center on the floor is an encouraging sign for the short-handed Storm who have fallen to 13th in the WNBA standings at 3-7

"She looks good," Storm coach Sonia Raman said. "She's still in the protocol, so she's working her way through it. But it's great to have her out there a little bit more. Her spirits are high. Her energy is good. She's definitely doing a good job."

Wednesday marked exactly three weeks since Malonga last appeared in a WNBA game.

On May 13, she tallied a season-high tying 21 points on 9-for-19 shooting and nine rebounds while playing a career-high 32 minutes during an 86-73 road loss against the Toronto Tempo.

With 6:29 remaining, Malonga cut to the rim to receive a pass before colliding with Tempo backup forward Laura Juskaite, falling and hitting the back of her head on the court. She was down for about a minute before walking to the bench.

Malonga returned and played about three minutes before exiting for good with 3:13 left.

Since then, she's appeared in dress clothes on the sideline and Raman has given vague specifics on her recovery.

"It's really hard when you're in the protocol," Raman said when asked about Malonga's potential return. "You just have to go through each stage. You have to evaluate the person in the protocol one stage at a time. I don't know what stage she's at exactly or how many stages are left for her.

"So, we can't accurately pinpoint when she'll be back. … But I can say, it's good to see her out there and when she's ready to go, we'll be very excited to have her back."

The WNBA follows the same concussion policy as the NBA, which outlines a multi-step protocol before returning to play that includes a 48-hour mandatory evaluation period. Players must undergo stages of light aerobic exercise, basketball-specific exercise, non-contact practice and full-contact practice before receiving clearance by a team physician.

It's believed the Storm are being extra cautious with Malonga considering she suffered a head injury on March 12 while playing for the French national team during a FIBA World Cup qualifying match against Colombia that forced her to miss the rest of the tournament.

Expectations are high for the 20-year-old Malonga who is the centerpiece of a Storm team that's the fourth youngest in the league and rebuilding around rookies Awa Fam and Flau'jae Johnson.

In three games this season, she's averaging 16.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.0 blocks and 26.6 minutes - all team highs - while shooting 47.5% from the field.

During her absence, the Storm have used a small-ball lineup and essentially replaced her with 5-10 playmaker Jade Melbourne in the backcourt with guards Natisha Hiedeman and Johnson alongside forward Jordan Horston and center Stefanie Dolson.

Without Malonga, Seattle ranks 12th in the WNBA in rebounds per game (30.1) and 14th in offensive rebounds per game (6.3) while their opponents are second (36.7) and third (9.9), respectively.

Near the end of Wednesday's practice, Malonga showed the Storm what they were missing when she snatched an offensive rebound away from a defender before finishing in traffic for putback layup that drew cheers and high-fives from teammates.

"You can tell she's happy to be back out there," Dolson said. "She's one of those people that she doesn't want to be missing games or practices. Seeing a smile on her face and seeing her play again, it feels great for all of us and I know it feels great for her to be on the court again."

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This story was originally published June 3, 2026 at 5:01 PM.