Seattle Storm duo Dominique Malonga and Gabby Williams turn heads with bold move

Seattle Storm's Gabby Williams and rookie Dominique Malonga made a bold move ahead of the 2025 WNBA season. On Monday, the French nationals announced on social media that they would not participate in EuroBasket.

The decisions from both players came because they individually wanted to focus on their respective careers in the WNBA. Malonga made a special post on her Instagram, featuring her with the French team.

In her post, she wrote that after weeks of consideration, she had decided to focus on her rookie season in the WNBA. Malonga also thanked the French team's coach and her teammates.

Williams also made her announcement through her Instagram Story post. She explained that her decision was personal and a difficult one to make. After careful consideration, she chose to dedicate her time to playing in the WNBA.

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Gabby Williams had a breakout outing at the Summer Olympics in Paris. She led the French team to the gold medal game against Team USA. Despite the loss, she earned respect for her standout play. Earlier this year, she was named the EuroLeague Women's Defensive Player of the Year.

The basketball world first took notice of Dominique Malonga, also during the 2024 Olympics. Although she didn't get much playing time, Malonga was perceived as an unprecedented talent like her fellow Frenchman Victor Wembanyama. She could shoot like a guard, dunk and displayed an excellent court vision for her age.

Malonga was selected No. 2 by the Seattle Storm in the 2025 WNBA draft. Her ceiling is expected to be very high and perhaps the biggest piece of the French national team, which will start its EuroBasket quest in June.

Seattle Storm names BECU as the partner for the performance center

Seattle Storm and the credit union company, BECU (Boeing Employees' Credit Union), extended their partnership. According to PR Newswire, on Monday, the team reported that as a part of their partnership extension, they were naming their newest training facility to BECU Storm Center for Basketball Performance.

This is the first time in WNBA history that an independently owned team in the league has secured a partnership with the training center. Notably, BECU played a crucial role in the building of Strom's performance center by providing financial help.

BECU is also set to be the representative partner for other drives that the Seattle Storm runs during the on-and-off season. The company is set to sponsor "Together We Rise," a basketball series from Jr. Storm Community Hoops.

About the author

Nandjee Ranjan is a journalist covering the NBA and WNBA at Sportskeeda whose passion for basketball dates back to his childhood when he enjoyed playing the sport in school.

Nandjee finds his heart divided between two NBA powerhouses: the LA Lakers and the Golden State Warriors. He idolizes LeBron James and his leadership, while he appreciates the Warriors' dynamic and team-oriented style of play.
Basketball, for Nandjee, isn't just a sport but a holistic approach to fitness and well-being. He's been drawn to team sports, finding fulfillment in the physical engagement basketball offers.

With years of following basketball, Nandjee contextualizes historical events and player performances. He believes in conducting thorough research before writing, only taking information from reliable sources. He doesn’t mind taking more time to write an articles, as long as it is 100% accurate for his readers’ benefit.

During his leisure hours, Nandjee finds relaxation by reading books.

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Edited by Alvin Amansec