The WNBA offseason is already heating up. Satou Sabally made her wish to leave Dallas public, the Sky have not yet extended a qualifying offer to Chennedy Carter, and Kelsey Plum continues to be mentioned in trade rumors. It is that time of the year when every WNBA team is trying to decide how to best improve its roster and chances to achieve its goals.
Sometimes, the answer is to trade for a star or to chase a big name in free agency. Other times, it is to draft a young player out of college. There is also plenty of talent overseas, though, and WNBA teams should keep an eye on one particular player.
Janelle Salaün could have a bright future in the WNBA
Janelle Salaün is a 6’2” forward from France who went undrafted in 2023 and is currently playing extremely well in Italy. Salaün is only 23 years old and has been establishing herself as one of the most interesting, young two-way players in Europe.
She has great size and athleticism that allow her to guard several positions, she can have an impact on the glass, and score on several levels. Her 3-point shot is still a little unreliable, but she is not afraid to shoot and has shown the ability to make several threes in a game.
In her most recent game, an 82-71 win over Zabiny Brno, Salaün displayed her versatility, doing a little bit of everything on both ends of the court. She finished the game with 17 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals.
It was already the third time this month that Salaün scored double-digits and grabbed at least six rebounds. On January 11, she recorded 23 points, converting four of her five 3-point attempts, and 6 rebounds.
Salaün may have gone undrafted the last time she made a play for the WNBA, but she has grown as a player since then. In the right environment, she could, at the very least, develop into a great 3-and-D forward at the WNBA level. She would, for example, look great on younger teams, like the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky, that need forwards who can defend and space the floor. Besides her obvious talent, Salaün has also already gathered some experience playing with and against WNBA-level players. She is currently playing with Minnesota Lynx big Dorka Juhasz and faced off against Natasha Howard and Sika Kone this season. Besides that, she also represented France at the 2024 Olympics.