WNBA Star Dominique Malonga Is Already Thinking Beyond Basketball—and She's Only 20

2 min readWHO: Dominique Malonga, center for the Seattle Storm and a 2026 WNBA All star WHAT: Huddle on the Road, a special edition of our popular podcast where we take you directly to the biggest events in the sports world and give you behind the scenes access to the brightest stars and buzziest convos WHERE: Chicago, Illinois // WNBA All Star WeekendWHY: Dom is the youngest player in league history to hit 500 career points, the youngest with 10 career double doubles, and the youngest player to score more than 30 points in a game. (P.S. She also dunked during the All-Star Game, with an assist from Angel Reese.)Five favorite takeaways: Dom views All-Star Weekend as business as well as fun. She called the weekend "intense," but made sure to emphasize that the interviews and appearances are opportunities to grow her brand, saying she'll "never complain" because it's all part of building a career beyond basketball.The WNBA's growth is most obvious in the fans. We loved that Dom’s favorite moments weren’t on the court—they were walking the Orange Carpet (she strategically picked out that insane crocodile green jacket as her all-star ‘fit weeks ahead of time), and feeling the energy around the league from fans of all ages. She said those interactions remind players "why we're doing this.”Courtesy of Amanda Lucci / WH IllustrationAmanda Lucci (left), Dominique Malonga (center), and Abigail Cuffey (right) at ASW 2026 in ChicagoDespite rewriting the WNBA record books at just 20, Dom actually isn't chasing records. As one of the youngest All-Stars ever—and already the youngest player to hit several statistical milestones (see above)—she said her only focus right now is helping Seattle win. She views the records as a byproduct of getting an early opportunity to "leave a mark" on the league.She's already working on her life after basketball (and it won’t be coaching!). Dominique is studying computer science (she’s hoping to build an app someday) because she eventually wants to work in tech. She said she expects to devote 10–15 years fully to basketball, then pivot, adding that she doesn't envision staying in the sport professionally after retiring.Off the court, she's incredibly multifaceted. She decompresses by playing piano (which also helped rehab a recent wrist injury), would love to duet with another player who’s an aspiring rapper in her spare time (you’ll have to listen to the podcast to find out who exactly she wants to recruit for this future Grammy-winning song), is obsessed with Korean dramas, speaks passionately about representing her cultural backgrounds—Cameroon, France, and Congo—and wants to be the kind of player fans feel they can truly relate to.TL;DR Dom represents the best of the best and the exciting next gen of female athletes; she’s the elite player who is also proudly multidimensional and ambitious as she carefully plans her career and her life for the long run. An inspiration to us all. Thank you for Huddling with us, Dom!Huddle Hosts: Amanda Lucci and Abigail CuffeyAudio Editor: Rianna CafaroAbigail Cuffey is the executive editor of Women's Health, where she oversees the brand’s content and initiatives across all platforms. Abigail has almost 20 years of editing and writing experience at national publications, with a specific expertise in health and medical journalism. She’s edited award-winning features and packages and is passionate about creating impactful stories that engage and inform the audience. Abigail hails from the Midwest (Urbana, Illinois) and is a proud alum of Syracuse University, graduating with a specialty focus in exercise physiology in addition to magazine journalism. She’s completed 6 marathons, countless half-marathons, and 1 half-ironman. Abigail is also an adjunct professor at New York University where she teaches in the masters of publishing program, and lives in New Jersey with her husband and two very active kids.