Malonga and Williams eliminated with Storm by Las Vegas
Sep 18, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Seattle Storm center Dominique Malonga (14) and Las Vegas Aces forward Cheyenne Parker-Tyus (32) battle for a rebound in the third quarter during game three of round one for the 2025 WNBA Playoffs at Michelob Ultra Arena. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images
The series between the Seattle Storm and the Las Vegas Aces ended with a cruel outcome for Seattle’s players. After equalizing thanks to Dominique Malonga’s heroics in Game 2, the Storm lost by a single point (74-73) in the decisive game, ending a promising playoff campaign.
Dominique Malonga, Storm’s French revelation
The 19-year-old French rookie left her mark on this series. In Game 2, Malonga recorded a double-double (11 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 blocks) and crucially scored a 3-point play (layup plus foul) with 30 seconds left, allowing the Storm to win 86-83 and force this decisive game.
Storm captain Nneka Ogwumike praised Malonga’s « maturity » on ESPN, as she was on the court during crunch time. This trust placed in the young French center demonstrates her immediate impact in the WNBA.
In the decisive game, Malonga (3 points and 5 rebounds) had more difficulties against A’ja Wilson’s dominance, but never gave up. The French-Cameroonian even managed to contain the two-time WNBA champion on a crucial late-game play, forcing Wilson to miss a shot before grabbing the rebound and sending Erica Wheeler for a fastbreak finish.
The rook answers right back 👀
Dominique Malonga gets the bucket on Wilson 💪
SEA–LVA | ESPN2 | WNBA Playoffs presented by @Google pic.twitter.com/zCKgTm1lPL
— WNBA (@WNBA) September 19, 2025
A’ja Wilson carries Aces to qualification
Despite Storm’s resistance and performances from Gabby Williams (7 points and 6 rebounds) and Nneka Ogwumike (16 points, 9 rebounds), the Aces relied on an outstanding A’ja Wilson. The reigning MVP scored 38 points, including 14 in the third quarter alone, regularly getting the better of Dominique Malonga in battles under the basket.
The game came down to the final seconds. With 17 seconds remaining, A’ja Wilson missed a mid-range shot, but Jackie Young put the ball back in to give Las Vegas the decisive lead. Erica Wheeler and Gabby Williams’ attempts missed their mark, giving the Aces their seventh consecutive second-round qualification.
A’ja Wilson’s teammates will now face the Indiana Fever, who created the first round’s surprise by eliminating the Atlanta Dream.
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