Janelle Salaün Unanimously Wins 2026 WNBA Sixth Player of the Year

Photo: WNBA.com. Official Janelle Salaün headshot, Golden State Valkyries.

Janelle Salaün was unanimously selected as the 2026 Kia WNBA Sixth Player of the Year on Sunday, the league announced, hours before the Golden State Valkyries open their semifinal against the Las Vegas Aces.

She received all 74 votes, per ESPN's Kendra Andrews. Underdog WNBA called her the first unanimous winner in the award's history and noted that Dearica Hamby came closest with 41 of 43 votes in 2019. Salaün led all reserves at 12.7 points per game and set a WNBA single-season record with 509 points off the bench, per the league. That 12.7 ranks seventh all-time among reserve scoring averages, per Andrews. The Associated Press had already named her its Sixth Woman of the Year on Sept. 27, noting that the Golden State bench averaged more than 36 points a game and that New York's Marine Johannès finished next in that vote.

The award goes to the player with the biggest impact on her team while coming off the bench, and to be eligible, a player must come off the bench in more games than she starts, per Yahoo Sports. Salaün played 40 games and started none of them. She averaged 12.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 22.1 minutes, shooting 42.5 percent from the field and 39.2 percent from three. In her second WNBA season, after an All-Rookie selection in 2025, this is the first individual award of her professional career.

Golden State went 23-21 in its 2025 expansion season and lost in the first round. This year the Valkyries finished 32-12, second only to Minnesota's 33-11. Salaün committed to her role off the bench and took a step forward as Golden State added nine wins, per Yahoo.

The Valkyries then beat Dallas in the first round for the first playoff series win in franchise history, erasing a 16-point deficit in a 77-73 Game 3. She signed a two-year extension after the 2025 season, is under contract through next season, and is set to hit free agency in 2028.

Game 1 against the Aces is at Chase Center at 4 p.m. ET Sunday, per ESPN. Las Vegas went 3-0 against Golden State in the regular season, and ESPN's BPI gives the Valkyries a 64.9 percent chance to reach the Finals. The Gabby Williams Take covers how Golden State matches up with Las Vegas. Salaün brings the league's top bench scoring average into that series.

Sources

• WNBA Communications on X. Oct 4, 2026. "Golden State Valkyries' Janelle Salaün Unanimously Selected as 2026 Kia WNBA Sixth Player of the Year."
• WNBA on X. Oct 4, 2026. Led all reserves with 12.7 PPG; WNBA single-season record 509 points off the bench.
• Kendra Andrews on X. Oct 4, 2026. Unanimous with all 74 votes; 12.7 PPG ranked seventh all-time among reserve scorers.
• Underdog WNBA on X. Oct 4, 2026. First unanimous winner in the award's history; Dearica Hamby 41 of 43 votes in 2019.
• Yahoo Sports (Teddy Ricketson). Oct 4, 2026. Eligibility rule; 40 games, all off the bench; 12.7/4.0/1.2 in 22.1 minutes, 42.5% FG and 39.2% from three; All-Rookie 2025; first professional award; 32-12, second to Minnesota's 33-11; 23-21 in 2025; committed to her role off the bench as Golden State added nine wins; two-year extension, under contract through next year, free agency in 2028.
• AP via ABC News: AP WNBA awards. Sep 27, 2026. Salaün AP Sixth Woman of the Year; Golden State bench averaged over 36 points a game; Marine Johannès next in the voting.
• ESPN: WNBA playoffs 2026 semifinals preview. Oct 3, 2026. Aces at Valkyries Game 1 Sunday 4 p.m. ET; Las Vegas 3-0 vs Golden State; BPI Golden State 64.9% to reach the Finals.
• The Dyme: 77-73 Gives the Valkyries Their First Playoff Series Win. Oct 2, 2026.
• The Dyme: Gabby Williams' 19 a Game Against the Aces Frames Sunday's Semifinal. Oct 3, 2026.
• Photo: WNBA.com. Official Janelle Salaün headshot, Golden State Valkyries.