Dominique Malonga delivered the signature finish of the WNBA All-Star Game, throwing down a dunk during the July 25 showcase at Chicago’s United Center. The play came during Malonga’s first career All-Star selection and ended a 17-year wait for another dunk in the event.
What happened
Malonga elevated and finished with a dunk on the All-Star stage, turning her first appearance in the event into a notable moment. The play stood out in a showcase featuring the WNBA’s selected stars and gave the Chicago crowd a finish that had not occurred in the game for nearly two decades.
The dunk added immediate significance to Malonga’s All-Star debut. With one play, she marked her first career selection by producing a moment tied directly to the event’s history.
Why it matters
No player had dunked in the WNBA All-Star Game since Sylvia Fowles did so in 2009. Malonga’s finish broke that extended drought and placed her alongside the most recent player to accomplish the feat in the league’s midseason showcase.
The moment carried weight beyond the finish itself because of its rarity. All-Star selections recognize players within the context of a season, but Malonga’s dunk gave her first appearance a lasting place in the event’s record.
By the numbers
The gap between Fowles’ dunk in 2009 and Malonga’s dunk on July 25 was 17 years. That span underscored how uncommon the play has been in the WNBA All-Star Game, even as the showcase continued to bring together the league’s featured players.
For Malonga, the defining numbers were one first-time selection and one historic finish. The dunk ended the event’s long wait and became the central moment of her first career All-Star experience.
What to watch next
Malonga will return to the regular-season schedule after the All-Star break. The focus now shifts from the Chicago showcase back to league play, where the remainder of the schedule will resume.
Her first All-Star appearance will follow her into that return. Whatever comes next in the regular season, Malonga leaves the break having delivered the WNBA All-Star Game’s first dunk since 2009.