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Malonga's Historic Dunk Shines Amid Jones' Apology Controversy

7/27/2026

41 3 Full Breakdown

Summary

Malonga Dunked

Dominique Malonga (20) dunked in the WNBA All-Star Game on July 25, 2026 in Chicago, becoming the youngest All-Star dunker.
Malonga posted the youngest All-Star double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds.
The All-Star Game drew a record 19,783 fans at Chicago’s United Center as Team Spoon beat Team Coop 129-122.
Flau’jae Johnson said Johnson would stop speaking to Malonga if Malonga failed to dunk, a challenge Malonga met.

Summary

Jones Apologizes

Jonquel Jones apologized after a livestream clip showed her telling Minnesota Lynx guard Courtney Williams the team “deserved” the 2024 championship.
She said she “let her guard down” with a close friend and took accountability.
The backlash grew as Jones lifted the All-Star MVP trophy, dedicating it to her late aunt Marilyn Knowles.
League commissioner Cathy Engelbert addressed the controversy while teammate Caitlin Clark praised Jones’s humility.

History

Historical Context

Lisa Leslie’s July 30 2002 dunk—against the Miami Sol—marked the WNBA’s first in-game slam, breaking a long-standing height barrier. The feat built on earlier milestones such as Cardie Hicks’s 1978 professional dunk in the Netherlands and Georgeann Wells’s 1984 collegiate dunk, paving the way for later stars like Brittney Griner, who now holds the league record with 25 dunks.

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Malonga Dunked

Dominique Malonga (20) dunked in the WNBA All-Star Game on July 25, 2026 in Chicago, becoming the youngest All-Star dunker.
Malonga posted the youngest All-Star double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds.
The All-Star Game drew a record 19,783 fans at Chicago’s United Center as Team Spoon beat Team Coop 129-122.
Flau’jae Johnson said Johnson would stop speaking to Malonga if Malonga failed to dunk, a challenge Malonga met.

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