Why Janelle Salaün could become Valkyries' go-to option in playoff crunch time
· Yahoo Sports
All the reasons Janelle Salaün is a clear frontrunner for the WNBA's Sixth Player of the Year Award make the 6-foot-3 forward a potential X-factor for the Golden State Valkyries' playoff run.
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Much has been made about the Valkyries' lack of star power as it compares to the superstars that line all other contenders in this year's playoff mix - A'ja Wilson and Jackie Young on the Las Vegas Aces, Napheesa Collier and Olivia Miles on the Minnesota Lynx, Kelsey Mitchell and Caitlin Clark on the Indiana Fever.
Gabby Williams is a bona fide star who's taken the Valkyries' defense from great to elite in 2026, but defensive supremacy is considered a floor raiser - Golden State's No. 1 defensive rating (99.8) is a defining part of this soaring 29-11 team's identity.
But playoff basketball, historically, sees shot making as the skill to raise a team's playoff ceiling to its greatest height.
In a series where teams play each other multiple times and coaches adjust game-to-game, what often separates the winners from the also-rans are the scorers who can take matters into their own hands.
Those players can create magic through the cracks, make tough shots, embark on a nuclear shooting streak and bend defenses until they break. Wilson, Clark and Miles have been those players for their respective teams, for example. Golden State is familiar with the type: Stephen Curry imposes his will in the playoffs and has four titles to show for it.
The Valkyries don't have a Curry - no de facto offensive nucleus who is the go-to when the team needs a bucket.
Salaün, the 25-year-old in her second year, has the shot-making chops to be that player in the playoffs.
"You see it on a day-to-day basis," point guard Veronica Burton said. "Her ability to shoot the ball is ridiculous, and especially (when) contested. I think she can get her shot off against anyone and it's lethal for us. We rely on it heavily. I rely on her a lot and it's been really fun to watch and see."
The Valkyries' strength is their depth, with no player averaging more than 14.3 points per game and eight players averaging more than 6 points per game. No player averages more than 30 minutes per game, either.
Salaün is the engine that fuels the second unit's scoring at a clip that's made her one of the league's most prolific bench players. It's a role change from her rookie year where Salaün started and played 27 minutes per game compared to her 22.3 this year.
Her 12.9 points per game heading into the final four games of the season are second most to Williams (14.3) while keeping a 58.8% true shooting percentage which is the best among Valkyries who average at least 20 minutes - the stat calculates efficiency of 2-point field goals, 3-point field goals and free throws. Her 3-point percentage is 39.7% on 6.1 attempts per game, both leading her team.
The standout statistic: Salaün set the WNBA record for points scored by a bench player with 492 - three weeks ago, when the league took a hiatus for FIBA, where Salaün won a silver medal with Team France - with four games to go to up that tally.
"Obviously her role maybe is a little bit different this year, coming off the bench, but she hasn't wavered in that and has continued to be really successful," Burton said. "And sky is the limit."
That kind of production on the league's second-best team makes her a clear frontrunner for Sixth Player of the Year honors, which will be announced during the playoffs.
Other contenders include Indiana Fever's Sophie Cunningham, Los Angeles Sparks forward Cameron Brink and Aces guard Jewell Loyd.
Cunningham is averaging 8.3 points per game with 62% EFG. She keeps the pace for the Fever when the second unit is in. Brink is in the conversation, though team success has historically been a swaying factor and the Sparks are eliminated from the playoffs. Loyd, on a much better team, is also in the race. But Salaün's record-breaking year gives her a clear edge.
It also may be one of the Valkyries' distinguishing weapons.
The head of the snake isn't where Golden State generates power. Head coach Natalie Nakase's crew gets the entire team involved and the bench has become the most productive in the league; their 36.0 bench points per game leads the league, according to Statmuse.
Burton's description of Salaün's shot-making abilities fits the bill for what the Valkyries may need to climb the playoff ladder. The regular season gave glimpses of Salaün turning into an unstoppable scorer.
Such as on July 8 against the Toronto Tempo, when she scored 16 points in the fourth quarter - including three triples - en route to a career-high 26 points. Or on July 18 against the Washington Mystics, when she crossed up 6-foot-5 center Shakira Austin and swished a fallaway mid-range jumper over the defender's arm.
Salaün is able to guard any position and has often slotted into small-ball lineups as the five. That could come into play if Nakase tightens her playoff rotations - difficult to imagine as the Valkyries' strength is their ability to use the entire bench, but could be necessary if Golden State wants to change the pace and attack against some of the bigger, longer opposing teams.
"I think her efficiency, she always had this killer mode," Valkyries center Iliana Rupert told reporters last year. "Every single time she attacks the basket, or she takes a shot, there's a really, really high chance that it creates something good."
Salaün isn't back with the team yet, neither is Williams or forward Cecilia Zandalasini as they recover and catch up on rest from the FIBA tournament that ended on Sunday. They are unlikely to play Friday against the Portland Fire on the first leg of a back-to-back.
The playoffs begin next Sunday, and when Salaün subs in, she'll be ready to take her shot in the spotlight.
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