Janelle Salaün Makes Valkyries History With Unanimous WNBA Sixth Player of the Year Award

Golden State Valkyries forward Janelle Salaün made franchise history Sunday, becoming the first Valkyries player to win the Kia WNBA Sixth Player of the Year award. The honor was unanimous, with Salaün receiving all 74 votes from the national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters.

Salaün’s second WNBA season turned into a record-setting year off the bench. She averaged a career-high 12.7 points per game, leading all qualifying WNBA reserves in scoring, while appearing as a reserve in all 40 of her games. She also established single-season WNBA records for a reserve with 509 points, 93 made three-pointers and 27 games scoring at least 10 points. Her 39.2 percent shooting from beyond the arc helped make Golden State’s depth one of the team’s biggest weapons.

The award adds another milestone to the Valkyries’ rapid rise. Golden State finished the regular season 32-12 and earned the No. 2 seed in the WNBA playoffs, with Salaün embracing a role that required her to provide instant offense rather than start. For a second-year franchise trying to establish a championship identity, having the league’s unanimously selected top reserve says plenty about the depth Golden State has built around its core.