Seattle Storm First Basket Stats 2026: Who Scores First
Dominique Malonga scored the Storm’s first basket more than anyone in 2026: 11 times in 34 starts, or 32% of the games they started. Natisha Hiedeman was next with 10. The Storm made the game’s first field goal in 50% of their 44 games and won 52% of their opening tipoffs. Everything below is counted from the play-by-play of every 2026 game (330 regular season, 16 playoffs, 1 play-in).
Who scored the first basket for the Storm in 2026
First basket for team is the first field goal by any SEA player; first basket of game is the game’s first field goal by anyone. Rates are per game started.
| Player | Starts | First basket for SEA | Rate | First basket of game | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dominique Malonga | 34 | 11 | 32% | 8 | 24% |
| Natisha Hiedeman | 40 | 10 | 25% | 3 | 8% |
| Flau’jae Johnson | 42 | 8 | 19% | 3 | 7% |
| Jade Melbourne | 32 | 6 | 19% | 2 | 6% |
| Jordan Horston | 23 | 4 | 17% | 2 | 9% |
| Awa Fam | 26 | 2 | 8% | 2 | 8% |
| Stefanie Dolson | 12 | 2 | 17% | 2 | 17% |
| Zia Cooke | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0 | 0% |
How often the Storm scored first
| Split | Games | Scored first | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| All games | 44 | 22 | 50% |
| Home | 22 | 9 | 41% |
| Away | 22 | 13 | 59% |
| Regular season | 44 | 22 | 50% |
Opening tipoff
| Jumper | Tipoffs | Won | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dominique Malonga | 33 | 19 | 58% |
| Stefanie Dolson | 7 | 3 | 43% |
| Awa Fam | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| Team | 42 | 22 | 52% |
How the Storm’s first baskets were scored
| Method | First baskets | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 3-pointer | 17 | 39% |
| Other 2-pointer (jumper, hook, tip) | 14 | 32% |
| Layup | 13 | 30% |
2025
| Player | Starts | First basket for SEA | Rate | First basket of game | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nneka Ogwumike | 0 | 21 | – | 9 | – |
| Skylar Diggins | 0 | 11 | – | 7 | – |
| Gabby Williams | 0 | 6 | – | 4 | – |
| Erica Wheeler | 0 | 4 | – | 1 | – |
| Brittney Sykes | 0 | 2 | – | 1 | – |
| Ezi Magbegor | 0 | 2 | – | 1 | – |
| Alysha Clark | 0 | 1 | – | 1 | – |
Who scores the first basket most often for the Storm?
Dominique Malonga, with 11 of the Storm’s first baskets in 2026 (32% of their 34 starts), ahead of Natisha Hiedeman with 10.
How often do the Storm score first?
The Storm made the first field goal in 22 of 44 games in 2026 (50%): 41% at home and 59% on the road.
Who takes the opening tipoff for the Storm?
Dominique Malonga took 33 of the Storm’s 42 opening tips in 2026 and won 58% of them.
Is Dominique Malonga a good first basket bet?
That depends on the price. A player who scores first for their team in 32% of starts is worth a bet only when a book prices them below that, after adjusting for tonight’s lineup and opponent. Our models make that comparison every 30 minutes for every WNBA game; see WNBA first basket picks.
Source: WNBA play-by-play and box scores, 2026. Updated October 13, 2026. See the WNBA first basket leaders for every team, or all stats.