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Basketball1 min read

Janelle Salaün Named 2026 Kia WNBA Sixth Player of the Year

NEW YORK, Oct. 4, 2026 – Golden State Valkyries forward Janelle Salaün has been unanimously selected as the 2026 Kia WNBA Sixth Player of the Year, the WNBA announced today. She has earned the honor as the league’s top reserve for the first time, becoming the first Valkyries player to win the award.
Janelle Salaün Named 2026 Kia WNBA Sixth Player of the Year

NEW YORK, Oct. 4, 2026 – Golden State Valkyries forward Janelle Salaün has been unanimously selected as the 2026 Kia WNBA Sixth Player of the Year, the WNBA announced today. She has earned the honor as the league’s top reserve for the first time, becoming the first Valkyries player to win the award.

Salaün received all 74 votes from a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. To be eligible for the award, a player had to play more games as a reserve than as a starter.

In her second WNBA season, Salaün led all WNBA reserves in scoring with a career-high 12.7 points per game (minimum 20 games played) and in cumulative plus-minus (+160). She came off the bench in all 40 of her appearances, setting WNBA single-season records for points (509), three-pointers made (93) and games with at least 10 points (27) by a reserve.

The 6-2 forward from France finished eighth in the…

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It was published on October 4, 2026 and last updated on October 9, 2026. The time of the story is shown in your own time zone on the page.

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