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Many American universities have already sent two of their WNBA representatives in the top 5 of the same draft. In 2016, the podium was even labeled UCONN 100% with Breanna Stewart, Moriah Jefferson and Morgan Tuck.
But no international club had placed two players in the first five places in the same cuvée. Just the Canberra Capitals had rose twice in the first round in 2001, with Lauren Jackson (n ° 1) then Kristen Veal (n ° 13).
During the night of Monday to Tuesday, ASVEL wrote history by allowing Dominique Malonga (1.97 m, 19 years old), chosen in second position by Seattle, and just Jocyte (1.84 m, 19 years old), fifth choice (Golden State), to fulfill their dream. Before the start of the quarterfinals on Friday against Basket Landes, in which the two neo-drafted will participate, an interview with coach Yoann Cabioc'h.
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“It's exceptional and historic! »»
Yoann, did you stay awake in the night from Monday to Tuesday to follow the draft of your players Dominique Malonga and just Jocyte?
I looked, of course! It was unthinkable not to be in front.
It is the first time in history that an international club places two players in the top 5 …
Already, two players from the same club in the first round, it should not have happened often (only once, in 2001, with Lauren Jackson and Kristen Veal de Canberra, editor's note). It is exceptional and historic. To be able to accomplish two young women in the top 5 of Draft the same year, it testifies to many things. From their work in the first place, where they have always been put in situations of several hours of work in the same day and they invested enormously. It is also a form of award for the club that has bet on young people.
⏳ In a few hours now the WNBA draft will be held. A draft to which Dominique Malonga and Just Jocyte are expected.
🩷🤍 Before this key moment in their career, our lionesses confide in their beginnings in the city of the Enlightenment and on the path traveled to … pic.twitter.com/6KwGtXiu4a
– LDLC ASVEL Female (@asvel_feminin) April 14, 2025
Let's take the two players on a case-by-case basis: is Dominique Malonga in his right place with the second, or could she hope more?
Personally, I think it had to be first. I have been repeating it for months: maybe I was taken for crazy a year ago but we realize today that I was right. You have to be realistic: if it is second, it is because a club not drafting Paige Bueckers in the first one would have endangered for the future. The hype is so important around it. And justified, because she is an extremely strong player. But she is also four years older than Dom … Afterwards, I believe that no club could take the risk of not selecting Paige Bueckers.
Is you in Seattle a good spot for Dominique Malonga?
Very good, even if it may not be there that she will have the biggest playing time immediately, since there is still Nneka Ogwumike and Ezi Magbegor. On the other hand, Seattle is a prestigious franchise, titled four times, with a certain weight of history and the passage of several legendary players: Lauren Jackson, Sue Bird, Breanna Stewart … She will be well surrounded with experienced players who will teach her the tricks of the trade, within a top level structure with a new training room. She will be able to focus only on her progress and her work. It's a game-changer to have such a tool.
How do you look at the evolution of Dominique Malonga this season?
There are two things that come to mind. When the Wonderligue baker's trophies were handed over last week, I told the girls that Dominique could have been MVP having bigger stats but that the reason she had not, was that we had chosen to play collectively. It would have been putting the team in danger of betting everything on Dom. Despite everything, getting out of statistics as she did (15.4 points at 50%, 10.3 rebounds and 1.4 against), it's impressive.
The second thing is that we are very attached this season to strengthen her weaknesses so that she has the least possible for the rest of her career. We have worked a lot on physicity, his ability to go right as on the left, his understanding of the game, especially defensively, etc. Today, Dom is a player who has fewer and less gaps. For the big jump that awaits him towards the WNBA, it is a good thing. She will be less targeting on the weak points she could have and the rest of the work may consist in strengthening her strengths. This season, I wanted to identify with her the possible black dots of her game for the WNBA and I am very proud of the work she has done. This meant that she had to get out of her comfort zone, put her finger on the problematic areas of her game and that she gets challenged on it. She was superb in this answer.
Have you seen such a phenomenon, on and outside the prosecution, at its age?
At his age, I don't know. But I worked with Candace Parker so necessarily … (he smiles) it would be insulting to Candace to say that Dom is already there. Afterwards, does she have the potential to go? I think yes. It's going to be an All-Star player, a Player franchise in a short time. She has an exceptional potential that she is already achieving. Players like her, we see very little. When I was in Chicago, I had the chance to work with phenomena like Candace Parker, Emma Meessean, Allie Quigley, Courtney Vandersloot or Kahleah Cooper: Dom can be part of this caste, yes.
“Dominique can be part of the caste of phenomena,
Just dominate the day she matches physicity ”
What does the destination of just Jocyte inspire, drafted by Golden State, who was announced in the second round the same morning by ESPN?
There is always a form of uncertainty in the draft. I trusted because the contacts I had reassured me that many teams wanted it in the first round. But as long as it is not done … When her name came out in fifth, I immediately thought that Golden State was good for her, even if I admit that I was surprised: they already have a lot of Europeans and I question myself how they are going to do this summer during the Eurobasket. I am waiting to see the state of the workforce during the period. That said, it's a great spot for her. The coach, Natalie Nakase, is very competent and it is a new book to write, in a franchise that has just created. There is nothing better than happening in something brand new.
Just Jocyte arrived at Asvel in 2019: in this sense, it is more a Lyonnais product than Dominique Malonga…
Clearly. Its evolution is incredible. She arrived in U15, when she was 13 years old, and she will leave while being a WnBA player. Above all, she had a course marked out with pitfalls: she injured herself last year, she played less than ten games (9), she was operated on, it took her eight months to recover. At the start, at the beginning of August, you should know that she could not run! And from the end of the month, she could play friendly matches. The medical staff was exceptional on the file.
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Then she worked hard on a daily basis and it allowed her to take the leadership. When we saw that she had trouble running in August, we wondered when she could take it but she knew how to do it early in the season. We really saw its role evolving from year to year, it was super interesting. There are things that do not learn in basketball and she has very naturally: this Qi basketball, this understanding, this vision, this finesse in the game. She has that in the blood.
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Did you surprise this season?
Surprised, no. She worked a lot, she strengthened physically. It was her problem and she is clearly solving it. It manages the contacts better and better so it's good. Mentally, she has always been very strong. When there is a failed match or a complicated week, she immediately rebounds. It is a rare and interesting quality at 19.
What perhaps its WNBA ceiling?
Today, I think that just is already part of the best third of the WNBA in terms of address and understanding of play. The question will be its ability to manage the physical aspect. It must be taken into account that she is a 19-year-old player, and that some are drafted at 22-23 years. It has time to match it all and I don't worry too much since she is a big worker. Will she be able to express himself fully this summer? I hope but just is not a finished product. It has a very strong potential. The day she matches physicality, speed and hardness, she dominates.
Until when are you going to be able to count on both in playoffs?
Just and Dominique will stay at Asvel until the last match, whatever happens.
Without saying that you have two top 5 again in stock with Aïnhoa Risacher and Téa Cléante, a new youth project will start at ASVEL…
Of course. 2026 is the year of Draft de Téa. It is up to her to provide the same efforts as Dom and just, but I think she can be drafted. We showed ASVEL that we could make the players high. The working structure has been set up, I have good relations with more than half of the franchises, I know that some have one eye on what we do. Aïnhoa Risacher and Téa Cléante are in the starting-blocks To be drafted in the next two years, this is the goal.
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What can you look at the performance of Aïnhoa Risacher at Hoop Summit?
It's good but I think that if we were redoing a second Hoop Summit this week, she could slam 15 points and 10 rebounds. She works like that: she gropes in the face of novelty, she observes but she learns very quickly. As soon as she has a second situation, she adjusts. We saw interesting things. What I found interesting for her was also to spend time with girls of her generation, confront the Americans, the other Europeans of her age, have a good time in Portland, see another function of staff. It's super enriching. Its performance itself is not what matters most. It is rather experience.
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