The Valkyries have made it clear that they don’t value traditional draft picks—young players fresh out of college—as much as most other teams in the WNBA. When it comes to young players, they prefer contributors who have spent years playing professionally overseas before they even become draft eligible, like Janelle Salaün, Juste Jocyte, and Iliana Rupert.
This season, especially, the Valkyries are also very high on their veterans, rolling out a starting lineup of Veronica Burton, Tiffany Hayes, Gabby Williams, Kayla Thornton, and Kiah Stokes to open the season. 25-year-old Burton is the youngest player in that lineup, and Williams is the only other player in her 20s.
Given the Valkyries’ championship aspirations, it makes sense to lean heavily into proven veteran talent. And yet, in the season opener against the Seattle Storm, it was one of their young players who led the charge offensively. Janelle Salaün led the team in scoring and field goal attempts.
Salaün is the most promising young player on the roster—at least until Juste Jocyte gets a chance to show what she can do in the W—and giving her the biggest role possible, the best chance to grow into a star, would be in the Valkyries’ best interest. After all, when you have a young player who can be a key contributor in your presence but also a building block for the future, you should ensure that that future is as bright as possible.
But who could Natalie Nakase justify moving out of the starting lineup in favor of the youngster? Gabby Williams is the Valkyries’ prized offseason addition, Kayla Thornton was the team’s first All-Star last season, and Tiffany Hayes was the first big free agent to sign with the team. After the game, Nakase said that she had a selfless team and that players didn’t care too much about starting, so seeing Salaün in a bigger role is at least a possibility.
Janelle Salaün played a strong game
Janelle Salün came off the bench for the Valkyries, but she played the third-most minutes and started the second half, as Tiffany Hayes and Cecilia Zandalasini only played limited minutes due to some injuries.
She left no doubt about how effective she can be in a starting role. Salaün finished the game with 20 points on 7-16 shooting from the field and 5-11 shooting from three, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 block. She made more shots than anyone else on the team, including Williams, Thornton, and Burton, and was responsible for a third of the Valkyries’ 3-pointers.
This season is Salaün’s chance to emerge as a true three-level scorer in the WNBA—although most of her attempts in this game came from long range—who can create her own shot and make a difference on defense with her length. If the Valkyries allow her to maximize her opportunities this season, they could soon have a young star.
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