Janelle Salaün just snagged the 2026 WNBA Sixth Player of the Year award, and get this: it was a unanimous vote. That’s right, every single vote went to her, cementing her status as the league’s top bench player.
The Valkyries Are Building Something Different
This isn’t just about Salaün though, is it? Her trophy is the latest jewel in what’s becoming an insane collection for the Golden State Valkyries, a franchise that’s only in its second year but is already stacking up accomplishments like crazy. Think about it: they had the 2025 WNBA Coach of the Year, the 2025 WNBA Most Improved Player, plus two WNBA All-Stars, with one even cracking the starting lineup. Now, they add the first-ever unanimous Sixth Player of the Year? It’s wild to see a second-year team performing at this level. You gotta give credit where it’s due, Golden State clearly knows how to spot talent and then get the absolute best out of them.
Unstoppable Off the Bench, Setting Records!
But let’s be real, Janelle herself deserves a massive shoutout. She absolutely owned that reserve role. Last season, she was already a bench boost, dropping 11.3 points in 27 minutes a game, hitting 36.6 percent from three on almost five attempts. But this season? She somehow did even more, in less time! She cranked out 12.7 points in just 22 minutes a game, jacking up nearly six threes per game and converting them at over 39.2 percent. That’s just a deadly combo: high volume with high efficiency. Her high release point makes her shot almost impossible to guard, extending her offensive impact way beyond just her points. And talk about making history, Salaün just set new WNBA records for both points scored AND three-pointers made by a reserve. Seriously, she broke two records from the bench! That’s just ridiculous. What’s even cooler is how Salaün perfectly embodies what makes the Valkyries so good. You see their clear offensive game plan, leaning heavily on three-point shooting, and then you see players like Salaün just totally embracing their role, no complaints, just pure performance.
And now, with this award in hand, Golden State is clearly hoping that same winning attitude, plus Salaün’s lights-out shooting, absolutely translates when they hit the WNBA semifinals. You just know they’re ready to make some noise.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Swish Appeal.
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