There's a piano in the apartment complex where most Seattle Storm players live, and they've given it a nickname: "Dom's Room." It's where Dominique Malonga retreats when her brain gets too full—after practice, after a game, or at the end of a long week juggling professional basketball with computer science assignments. "I spend my life there," the 20-year-old says. She took piano lessons as a kid and rediscovered the instrument four years ago, teaching herself new pieces on YouTube. When her mind is racing, she disappears to Dom's Room to reset. "I just go play," she explains.

As one of the WNBA's brightest young stars, Malonga has made headlines for her athleticism. The 6-foot-6 French center was drafted second overall by the Storm last year, making her the youngest player in the league. Her size, mobility, and ability to dunk made her impossible to ignore. She spent much of her rookie season quietly learning from a veteran-heavy roster, gradually becoming a threat off the bench. Along the way, she became the youngest player ever to post a double-double and reach 100 career points.

But basketball is only part of what she's building. While learning the league, she's also chasing a college degree in computer science, filling every spare hour with something new. She's working toward a life that extends well beyond the court. After a whirlwind off-season that included wrist surgery in October, Unrivaled 3-on-3 action in Miami, and a FIBA World Cup Qualifying Tournament in France—where she suffered a concussion—Malonga is now back in Seattle for training camp. "It was the first time I had time for me," she says of her recovery period. For a player who dunks by day and studies by night, that's a rare luxury indeed.