{"id":556878,"date":"2026-01-31T18:40:11","date_gmt":"2026-01-31T18:40:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/556878\/"},"modified":"2026-01-31T18:40:11","modified_gmt":"2026-01-31T18:40:11","slug":"dominique-malonga-breaks-silence-on-euroleague-shift-to-wnba-after-controversial-contract-call","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/556878\/","title":{"rendered":"Dominique Malonga Breaks Silence on EuroLeague Shift to WNBA After Controversial Contract Call"},"content":{"rendered":"

The second overall pick in 2025 showed elite speed and athleticism, which earned Dominique Malonga All-Rookie honors. She even made history at Unrivaled by dunking for the first time in a game. But her time off from work turned into a disaster.<\/p>\n

Watch What\u2019s Trending Now!<\/p>\n

She has had a hard time getting back to the Seattle Storm because of a contract dispute with a Turkish team and a wrist injury that needed surgery.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Malonga has shared how the speed difference between European and American basketball means that she has to keep adjusting.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think what\u2019s good with me is that I\u2019m really fast for a player. I can really run the floor well, and all my athleticism and speed are really my force on the court,\u201d she explained on the Sports Illustrated YouTube Channel. \u201cIt\u2019s so different, the physicality between here in the States and Euro basketball. I know that this league is really physical, too, and I need to improve on that. So that\u2019s going to be helpful too. We have the one-on-one tournament, so we\u2019re going hard. It\u2019s just about going hard, giving 100%, and really putting the work in to improve.\u201d<\/p>\n

The situation around Malonga\u2019s comments shows why she stresses adaptation<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In her first season with the Seattle Storm in the WNBA, she averaged 7.7 points and 4.6 rebounds per game and stood out among her draft class. These numbers got her on the All-Rookie Team, which showed that the team had made a good investment and that she had an immediate effect.<\/p>\n

Her ability to run the floor and create possessions was useful in the faster-paced American game compared to European competition.<\/p>\n

But the change hasn\u2019t been easy.<\/p>\n

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Dominique Malonga ended her three-year contract with the Turkish club Fenerbah\u00e7e on her own, saying she had to because she needed surgery to fix a dislocated tendon in her wrist.<\/p>\n

The team revealed that she ended the contract \u201cwithout any just cause\u201d and that they would \u201cexercise all our legal rights to seek compensation for any material and moral damages.\u201d<\/p>\n

This could keep her from coming back for the 2026 WNBA season.<\/p>\n

International rules say that both the league and the teams in other countries must agree to let players move between them. At first, the Turkish club got WNBA approval, but now they\u2019re saying they won\u2019t let her play if she breaks her contract.<\/p>\n

Amidst all these controversies, Malonga is putting on a show at Unrivaled<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Malonga shines at Unrivaled while legal battle looms<\/p>\n

Dominique Malonga has shown that legal problems off the court won\u2019t stop her from dominating on it by playing for the Breeze in the faster-paced 3-on-3 format. Her performances show that she\u2019s ready for a strong second season in the WNBA as soon as the clearance issue is worked out.<\/p>\n

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Imago<\/p>\n

The numbers speak for themselves.<\/p>\n

Malonga scores 15.9 points per game in only 14.4 minutes and shoots between 56 and 69 percent from the field. That kind of efficiency in a short amount of time shows that she\u2019s making the most of every possession. On January 24, she scored 21 points on 9-16 shooting and grabbed 8 rebounds. On January 26, she scored 18 points on 8-13 shooting and grabbed 11 rebounds. Even on a slow night like January 30, she got 12 rebounds and 10 points.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not just scoring that makes Malonga special.<\/p>\n

She also plays defense, averaging 1\u20132 steals per game and always working hard on that end of the floor. She is a complete player that any team would want.<\/p>\n

Malonga\u2019s game isn\u2019t affected by the contract mess. What scouts saw when she was picked second overall is what she has already shown at Unrivaled \u2013 that\u2019s all that matters!<\/p>\n

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