How Janelle Salaün became a basketball star in 11 years

The Golden State Valkyries have three French players on their roster, two of whom played against the U.S. in the 2024 Olympics. Janelle Salaün got the start for France in gold medal match and has made many starts for the Valkyries in her rookie campaign in the WNBA. However, it was a different Olympics that directed Salaun towards the sport of basketball.

“I started playing basketball when I was 12,” Salaün told The Next. “I remember I was actually watching the Olympics in London in 2012 with my grandma, and I just decided I wanted to do this sport, which is funny, because my parents never forced me. They actually played basketball, but they never forced us, me and my brother, to play.”

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Salaün, a native of Paris, grew up with two parents who played basketball. Growing up in France, a country whose first love is soccer, Salaün didn’t play a lot of basketball in school. Despite her lack of early involvement with basketball, Salaün quickly picked up the game and at age 14 went to INSEP, France’s National Institute of Sport Expertise and Performance.

Salaün grew and improved during her time at INSEP. Then, in 2019, she signed her first ever professional contract to play for Flammes Carolo, a team that plays in the LFB, France’s top domestic league. A year later, she moved to Villeneuve-d’Ascq, another club in the LFB. She spent four years there, during which she helped lead the club to a league title and a EuroLeague finals appearance.

“I think her efficiency, she always had this killer mode, but now she’s efficient with it,” Iliana Rupert told the media of her longtime friend and teammate. “Every single time she attacks the basket, or she takes a shot, there’s a really, really high chance that it creates something good. She’s also opened up a lot. She was really shy, we were not really hearing her when she was younger, and now she’s not the most vocal, but you know, she’s still more open. I think those are the two big changes for sure.”

Prior to the 2024-25 EuroLeague season, Salaün decided to make the move out of France to Famila Schio in Italy. At the age of 23, she helped lead the team a 19-1 record in league play and a No. 1 seed in the playoffs. Schio made the Italian league finals, and Salaün was named the finals MVP after helping Schio to a championship in five games.

It was during her time playing with Schio that Salaün signed with the Golden State Valkyries. She was a highly touted player in the international market and many WNBA teams wanted to bring her over for training camp. But it was the freedom to grow that Valkyries general manager Ohemaa Nyanin and head coach Natalie Nakase described is what ultimately led Salaün to sign with the team.

“When I had my visit with the coach and the GM, it was just, I had a good feeling about it,” Salaün said. “I didn’t think about it too much. They offered me a good place where I could grow up and, and give me the space to express myself as a basketball player. So I chose Golden State said because he was the best thing for me.” 

Salaün was unable to attend training camp, as she was finishing up her season with Schio. Despite this, she was still named to the opening day roster, and after missing the first game of the season, Salaün saw her first ever in-game action against the Washington Mystics on May 2. She scored 10 points and grabbed four rebounds in the Valkyries’ narrow 76-74 victory.

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In her rookie campaign so far, Salaün is averaging 10.6 points and 4.8 rebounds while shooting 33% from three on 4.5 attempts per game. Right now, she is the fourth highest scoring rookie on a per game basis. She has scored in double figures in 16 of her 19 games, including a career high 21 points against the Sparks back in June.

One of the most important assets Salaün has demonstrated so far is the fearlessness and willingness to play in important moments. Multiple times late in games, Salaün has been the one to take the big shots for Golden State. Against the Phoenix Mercury on July 14, Salaün hit back-to-back jump shots in the span of four seconds to tie the game in its final moments, but the Valkyries ultimately lost on a free throw. 

Then, on July 31 against Washington, after Golden State had given up the lead with just over a minute remaining, Salaün made a strong drive to the rim and scored what would become a game winning layup. Nakase says she believes Salaün is ready for these high-pressure moments and has quickly grown out of being a rookie.

“I think she’s someone similar to [Cecilia Zandalasini], as someone we can give the ball down the stretch,” Nakase said prior to the Valkyries game against the Connecticut Sun on August 11. “This is a rookie closing out games for us … but you know she doesn’t even seem like a rookie, she doesn’t talk like a rookie, she doesn’t think like a rookie. So, I’m just very grateful that she chose us.”

In the Valkyries’ inaugural season, Salaün’s skill set has not only been critical to winning games, but it has also fit perfectly into how Nakase wants the team to play. Salaün is a big guard, standing 6’2, who is unafraid to shoot and can knock down shots from anywhere. She consistently hits tough mid-range jumpers over opponents outstretched arms, and is able to defend both guards and post players.

She starts in one of the “forward” spots for the Valkyries on most nights, but few would consider her a traditional forward. Her flexibility to not only score at all three levels, but defend almost any spot on the floor, is what has made her so valuable. She fits in perfectly with the Valkyries roster, which is full of versatile players at every position.

Salaün feels the area she’s grown in most since coming to Golden State has been her ability to read the game at a higher level. She has always been a great shooter, but wasn’t used to scoring over people at the rim. But this season in the WNBA, Salaün says she has been working on attacking the basket and becoming more efficient, and that it has finally started to come together for her.

“That’s kind of funny, because I’m gonna be honest with you, that’s not a part of my game that I really liked, to go to the basket to finish over people,” Salaün said. “I was more like a mid-range, three point shooter, but I finally learned, that I can use my body and my speed to go finish over people. I’m just fearless … I worked on it a lot, but it never translated until now, until I got to the WNBA.” 

Salaün has quickly shown how skilled she is and how she can impact a basketball game, but her dedication to the sport also plays a role. Rupert says that Salaün eats, sleeps and breathes basketball. Even off the court, she is all basketball, either doing recovery or analyzing her game. Rupert says she tries to impress upon Salaün the need to relax off the court, but is impressed by her passion.

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Despite the fact Salaün has helped the Valkyries accomplish so much in their first year as an expansion franchise, she still feels she can play better, with one area to improve being her consistency. Salaün may have high expectations for herself, but her teammates are amazed by the skill and confidence she has displayed in her first WNBA season.

“Janelle … she’s another quiet force,” Valkyries forward Monique Billings told the media. “Doesn’t say too much, but she lets her game speak, and it speaks loud. I think watching her, it almost looks like she’s impressing herself sometimes, just being in situations and in moments, like taking over in some games. I’m really, really proud of her, and just I really admire her confidence.” 

Salaün has long been talked about in WNBA circles as she grew during her time in France. She’s played for the French national team multiple times and consistently impressed WNBA front offices. In her first year, she has surpassed expectations and is helping the Valkyries push for a playoff spot, but it’s become clear she is just scratching the surface of her career. For the moment, Salaün will continue to hit tough shots, make clutch plays while continuing to help Golden State rewrite the record books.