The Golden State Valkyries had a historic first season in the WNBA in many ways, between making the playoffs and taking home multiple end-of-season awards. In addition to 4th-year guard Veronica Burton’s MIP win and head coach Natalie Nakase’s Coach of the Year win, rookie forward Janelle Salaün has taken home All-Rookie honors.
Salaün, a 24-year-old forward from France, averaged 11.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in her rookie season in the WNBA, landing her on the WNBA All-Rookie team. Unlike most WNBA players who complete four years in college before entering the WNBA, Salaün has been a pro since the age of 18, playing overseas for Flammes Carolo and Villenueve-d’Ascq in France and Familia Schio in Italy. During the upcoming WNBA offseason, she will be returning to Italy to play for PSK Praha. This extra professional experience will give Salaün and the Valkyries a boost next year, as she will be one of the most experienced sophomores in the league.
The other four players named on the 2025 WNBA All-Rookie team are Paige Bueckers of the Dallas Wings, Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen of the Washington Mystics, and Dominique Malonga of the Seattle Storm.
