Janelle Salaün sixth woman: stunning record 509 bench points

Dustin Judge
Janelle Salaün sixth woman - Janelle Salaün selected AP Sixth Woman of the Year

The Janelle Salaün sixth woman honor is official: the Golden State Valkyries forward was named the Associated Press Sixth Woman of the Year on Sunday, Sept. 27, after a season that rewrote the WNBA record book for reserves.

Salaün, 25, is in her second season with Golden State, which finished 31-11, the second-best record in the WNBA. She gave up a starting role and became one of the league’s most productive players off the bench. According to the Valkyries’ release on the AP awards, Gabby Williams also earned All-AP WNBA Second Team honors.

Janelle Salaün sixth woman by the numbers

Salaün averaged 12.7 points per game, the most among reserves, and shot 39.2% from 3-point range, fourth in the league among qualified players. Her 509 points off the bench are a single-season WNBA record for reserves, according to the team.

She also set reserve records with 93 made 3-pointers and 2.3 per game. Salaün scored in double figures 27 times, the most by a reserve in league history, and had six 20-point games.

Teammates praise her mindset

The Janelle Salaün sixth woman story is also about attitude. Veronica Burton said Salaün’s approach has not changed whether she starts or comes off the bench. “We’re going to look for her as though she’s a first option offensively,” Burton said, as reported by Yahoo Sports.

Burton added: “She’s dominant, she changes the game every single time. There’s no one in this league that influences the game like she does, coming off the bench.”

Salaün said the bench trio of herself, Tiffany Hayes and Kaitlyn Chen has chemistry. “I think we just have this really good connection and it just works for us,” she said. Hayes scored 21 points off the bench as Golden State beat the Dallas Wings 104-80 in Game 1 of the first round on Sept. 27.

How the other reserve candidates compared

Yahoo Sports listed Indiana’s Sophie Cunningham (8.2 points per game, 43% from 3-point range), Los Angeles’ Cameron Brink (9.5 points, 5 rebounds, 1.8 blocks) and Las Vegas’ Jewell Lloyd (7.7 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists) among the other bench contenders. Salaün’s scoring and shooting totals outpaced all three, which made the Janelle Salaün sixth woman vote an easy call on the stat sheet.

Salaün also represented France at the 2026 FIBA World Cup, averaging 11.2 points, Yahoo reported.

What’s next for the Valkyries

Golden State’s best-of-three series against Dallas was forced to a deciding Game 3 after the Wings’ 108-100 overtime win behind Arike Ogunbowale’s 45 points on Sept. 30. Our Wings vs. Valkyries Game 3 preview covers the decider.

The Janelle Salaün sixth woman award is the latest WNBA hardware this fall. See also our coverage of Jessica Shepard’s Most Improved Player case and Angel Reese’s defensive award.

Dustin Judge is the Founder and CEO of Total Apex Media, bringing more than 20 years of writing and editorial experience to the company's growing network of digital publications. He specializes in sports, sports betting, fantasy sports, and digital publishing, with a focus on producing accurate, timely, and engaging content for readers. Dustin oversees editorial strategy, content development, and publishing operations across Total Apex Media while remaining actively involved in sports, betting, and fantasy sports coverage.