Dominique Malonga thinks big and has coherent ideas. “It really will be soon”warned the athleticism of the French women’s basketball team on July 12, after a preparation match for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games (DO), against Serbia, in Décines-Charpieu (Rhône). The youngest of the Blues was referring to the action that, a few minutes earlier, had led the spectators to get up from their seats to cheer her on: when counterattacking, she had attempted a dunk. Without achieving it.
“I’m disappointed, it wasn’t far, I just needed some juice” put – or smash – the ball in the basket, the player concluded. “But it shows that he will eventually pass, especially because in training he is 100%”, he warned. Less than four months later, Dominique Malonga kept his word.
On Wednesday, October 30, the young insider (18 years old) of Asvel took advantage of the great victory of the Rhône club at home in the Euro Cup (115-54) against Limassol (Cyprus) to become the first Frenchwoman in history to make a dunk during a match. . “I had it on my legs for a few games.The tall player (1.98 m), cited by The team. When I was doing it during the warm-up for several weeks, I heard the crowd cheering me on, I knew they were waiting for it, so was I. »
If it is common among men, the mate or smash remains more than rare among women. The basketball players capable of performing this technical gesture can be counted on the fingers of both hands. Among professionals, it was performed for the first time on July 30, 2002 by American Lisa Leslie, playing for the Los Angeles Sparks, in the WNBA (the women’s counterpart of the NBA).
“This moment broke a barrier”, He reported to The Athletic in 2021 that former Miami player Ruth Riley was in the front row that night, because she was on the opposing team. “We could no longer say that women were not capable of submerging themselves. In some ways this has disarmed some critics and young women can see the image and be inspired by it. »
Whatever their level, basketball players grow up hearing the refrain about the supposed athletic deficit of their discipline. And even at the highest level, players have often internalized the observation that their sport is of little interest. “We are very aware that it is still difficult for us girls to fill the basketball courts.”Dominique Malonga said during preparation for the Olympic Games.
“If I can bring this show to women’s basketball, it would be ideal”
In this context, the dunk, because it is a spectacular action and because it constitutes one of the expressions of creativity in basketball, can attract attention. “There are two points left, but basketball, if it is seen so much among boys, is also because of this show, and if I can bring that to women’s basketball in Europe, it is ideal”the Asvel player insisted on Wednesday.
” When [Dominique Malonga] It will get wet, it will work for a long time », warned Nicolas Batum, captain of the French men’s team, during the Olympic summer. It will be a good thing for her and for women’s basketball, which is booming. »
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If she plans to do this action “something recurring”The player, however, refuses to limit himself to the role of “the one who only does dunks”. She intends to highlight “many other facets” of his game.
After being crowned the best hope of the 2023-2024 season with Tarbes, Dominique Malonga has started the 2024-2025 season with the most success in the Lyon region (18.3 points and 10 rebounds on average). Then she could cross the Atlantic to play in the WNBA: she is among the great hopes of the next draft, a kind of scholarship for young players.
“This generation will [le dunk] banal, almost daily, and it won’t be so crazy anymore.”predicted, in 2021, former American player Candace Parker, one of the pioneers of dunk. Like Dominique Malonga, young basketball players, who have physical abilities, have now understood that dunk is no longer a dream, but a reality.
