Dominique Malonga first dunked a basketball at the age of 16. Since then, she’s continued to pair her eye-popping length with elite athleticism. And after years, she’s finally delivered that signature moment again. 

It came with 3:30 left in the first quarter. As Malonga received a pass from Rickea Jackson in the lane, she took one powerful step. She went straight to the rim and hammered it home with her right hand.  

The slam marked Malonga’s first professional dunk in the United States and her first in an Unrivaled game. And even Vince Carter couldn’t look away. The NBA legend reposted the clip and wrote, “Easy hops!!!”

Well, that praise carries weight. Most importantly, many consider Carter one of basketball history's greatest dunkers. His iconic 2000 Slam Dunk Contest performance is still recognised as one of the best.

So when someone like him takes notice, it means something.

Why was Malonga’s Dunk Special?

Dominique Malonga isn’t the first player to dunk in Unrivaled. Brittney Griner threw one down last season in the 3-on-3 league. But Malonga’s slam was the first dunk of this season, making it a milestone moment.

As Malonga summed it up best afterward, “It was great. You were waiting for a long time, and I was waiting too,” she said. “So I’m happy it happened. I’ve felt so much love from the whole arena. Everybody was hyped, and that made me really happy.”

Clearly, Malonga’s excitement goes beyond just dunking. It’s about announcing herself on a big stage. Notably, she’s four years younger than Paige Bueckers and already making an impact.

She added, “I’m not very expressive on the court, so I didn’t show it much. But it was blowing my mind. It was a great moment.” 

She’s averaging 14.3 minutes per game while posting 7.7 points and 4.6 rebounds. But the question now is whether she can keep this momentum going.

Written by

Yashika Dutta

Edited by

Joyita Das