The Seahawks coach doesn’t give a precise timetable for the recovery of safety Nika Emmanwori after surgery, and Seattle Storm center Dominika Malonga delivered her first WNBA All-Star Game dunk since 2022—becoming the youngest in history to do so.
Uncertainty around Emmanwori: Seahawks coach on the injury and return timeline
Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald sought to reassure fans, saying that the recent ankle surgery undergone by safety Nick Emmanwori is not a serious long-term issue. However, as is often the case in professional sports, the coach did not offer any clear guarantees about when the player would be back to start the season. In an interview on the Seattle Sports website, Macdonald said the team does not set rigid deadlines, but stressed: “This is not a situation where we’re going to lose a player for the whole season or anything like that.” That cautious wording is understandable: Emmanwori is a key piece of the Seahawks’ defense, and his health directly affects the team’s plans for the upcoming championship.
Nick Emmanwori, who finished second in last season’s voting for Defensive Rookie of the Year, underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right ankle in early July. The injury is a continuation of problems that began as far back as last season. In the very first regular-season game, Emmanwori suffered a high-ankle sprain, causing him to miss the remainder of that match and the next three. Later, during practice ahead of the Super Bowl, he sustained a low-ankle sprain, but still took the field and logged 70 of 71 defensive snaps in the winning title game against the New England Patriots. That kind of selflessness is certainly admirable—but it also led to chronic pain that didn’t go away after the season ended.
According to Macdonald, Emmanwori participated in the spring OTAs and in the mini-camp, but when the workload increased ahead of training camp, the discomfort in his ankle became unbearable. “That was something that had been bothering him since the Super Bowl. He could go out there and did certain things in the offseason, but it got to the point where, for the long term, the best decision for him was simply to go get it fixed,” the coach explained.
Now the club has placed Emmanwori on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list, allowing him to miss camp while still keeping the hope of returning before the season begins. But there’s an important detail: if the player remains on PUP at the time the roster is trimmed to the final roster (August 30), he will be forced to miss at least four regular-season games. Macdonald sidestepped a direct question about whether he expects Emmanwori back for the first-week game against the New England Patriots on September 9, only smiling as he said: “I don’t know. Can he play in the opening game? Sure, he can.” That kind of uncertainty leaves one thinking: either the Seahawks genuinely don’t know the timetable, or they’re deliberately keeping opponents in the dark.
Last season, Emmanwori truly was a revelation. In 14 regular-season games, he registered a pick, 11 pass breakups, 2.5 sacks, 9 tackles beyond the line of scrimmage, and a blocked field goal. In the playoffs, he added four more pass breakups. But most importantly, his physical tools (188 cm, 100 kg), combined with rare speed and athleticism, allowed the coaching staff to use him as a versatile “Swiss Army knife”: he could play linebacker against heavy offenses or take a nickel cornerback role against lighter formations, giving Seattle’s defense the ability to dictate terms to opponents. Losing a player like that for even a few weeks is a major blow to a defense that was the league’s best last year in points allowed.
For now, fans can only wait. The club’s leadership is clearly betting on the player’s long-term health, but exact recovery timelines after arthroscopic surgery (a minimally invasive procedure in which a camera and instruments are inserted through a small incision to remove damaged tissue) typically range from several weeks to a couple of months. If Emmanwori returns to practice in mid-August, he’ll have enough time to get into game shape by the start of the season. If not, the Seahawks will have to look for options deep in the roster, which could complicate meeting ambitious goals for the new year.
Young star of the Seattle Storm, Dominika Malonga, throws down a dunk in the WNBA All-Star Game for the first time since 2022
This weekend, Chicago became the center of women’s basketball: as part of the WNBA’s 30th anniversary season, the All-Star Game took place and set an attendance record—19,783 fans packed into the United Center. The defining story of the night was a dunk by 20-year-old Dominika Malonga of the Seattle Storm. With 6:24 left in the first half, she received a pass from Angel Reese, sprinted into the three-second area, and—using her right hand—slammed the ball through the hoop. It was the first WNBA All-Star Game dunk since 2022, when Sylvia Fowles did it. Previously, something like this had only been achieved by Liz Cambage (2005), Jonquel Jones (2017), and Brittney Griner (2019). Standing 198 cm tall, Malonga finished the game with a double-double—12 points and 13 rebounds.
The All-Star Game ended with Team Spoon defeating Team Coop 129-122. The Most Valuable Player was Jonquel Jones of the New York Liberty, who posted 22 points, 13 rebounds, and 8 assists. She played with a heavy heart after the death of her aunt, but admitted that basketball helped bring her back some brightness. Jones became the first player in league history to win MVP of the regular season, the WNBA Finals, the Commissioner's Cup, and the All-Star Game—a unique accomplishment.
Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever drew special attention from the crowd. She hit several three-pointers from 10 and 11 meters, including a pass from the only rookie in the All-Star Game, Olivia Miles. Over the course of the game, Clark totaled 17 points and 5 assists. For her, it was a return to the All-Star Game after missing last year’s home event in Indianapolis due to a groin injury. Kelsey Mitchell (Team Coop) had a scorching first half, scoring 23 points, and ultimately finished with 28 points for her team.
Notably, this year’s All-Star Game was held at the United Center—the main arena in Chicago—rather than at the smaller Wintrust Arena, as it was in 2022. The record attendance, according to Johnson, proves the league’s growing popularity. Among the spectators, legendary Lisa Leslie was spotted, as well as South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley and former NBA star Dwyane Wade.
Interestingly, the All-Star Game itself was organized under the old “captains” format: teams were picked by legendary defenders Cynthia Cooper and Teresa Weatherspoon, coached respectively by Becky Hammon (Las Vegas) and Cheryl Reeve (Minnesota). The roster participants were determined by a vote from fans, the media and players, as well as by the coaches’ selections.
Malonga’s dunk is not just a highlight—it’s a symbol of how young talent is pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in women’s basketball. And while the All-Star Games typically feature softer defense (the teams combined for 127 three-pointers), it’s exactly athletic moments like these that attract new audiences. As Paige Bueckers, who went to school with Malonga in the U.S. college system, put it: “She makes it look so easy—it’s breathtaking.”
More details about the game can be found in an article by The Seattle Times, where it’s also noted that Nneka Ogwumike scored 11 points and surpassed Maya Moore (119 points) for the most career All-Star Game points—she now has 122. For Ogwumike, it was her 10th All-Star Game as well, which is also a league record.
This Chicago night showed that the WNBA is experiencing a new surge. Young players bring fresh emotions, while veteran achievements set the bar high. The league is growing not only in ticket numbers, but also in stories that will stay with fans for a long time.
Dominika Malonga became the youngest basketball player to dunk in a WNBA All-Star Game
The question of when Dominika Malonga would throw down her first WNBA dunk was only a matter of time. And that time arrived Saturday night, during the All-Star Game. The Seattle Storm center didn’t miss the chance to stand out in a game where defense usually isn’t the main focus. In the second quarter, the 20-year-old, 198-centimeter guard/forward—caught a pass from Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese and with sheer power slammed it home, making history. As Fox News reported, citing the team, Malonga became the seventh player in league history to have a dunk in the All-Star Game—and the youngest among them. The last time fans saw something like this in the context of the show was in 2022, when the legendary Sylvia Fowles did it.
What’s interesting is that in 63 WNBA regular-season games, Malonga had never scored an over-the-top dunk, even though her ability to rise above the rim was never a secret—she has been throwing down dunks in Europe and the youth league Unrivaled. Already the second day after the Storm selected her with the second pick in the draft (last year), Dominika showed her talent in her very first practice session. Before Saturday’s game, her Storm teammate Flo’Jae Johnson jokingly threatened she wouldn’t speak to the center unless she delivered a dunk during the game. In her second season in the WNBA, Malonga averages 16.3 points and 8.5 rebounds per game—numbers that show she’s already become one of the league’s key players.
This achievement not only highlights the athlete’s outstanding physical condition, but also serves as a marker of the growing showiness of women’s basketball. For the younger generation of fans, Malonga’s dunk symbolizes the WNBA reaching a new level of athleticism and entertainment. It’s still unknown when the center will be able to repeat the trick in a regular game, but after such a debut at All-Star weekend, it’s likely not going to take long.
