NEW YORK, Oct. 4, 2026 – Janelle Salaün, a forward for the Golden State Valkyries, has been unanimously named the 2026 Kia WNBA Sixth Player of the Year. This marks the first time an athlete from the Valkyries has received this honor.

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Salaün secured all 74 votes from a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. To qualify for this award, players must have participated in more games as a reserve than as a starter.

In her second year in the WNBA, Salaün led all reserves with a career-high average of 12.7 points per game, while also achieving a cumulative plus-minus of +160. She played off the bench in all 40 games this season, setting league records for points scored by a reserve (509), three-pointers made (93), and games with at least 10 points (27).

Standing at 6-2, the French player ranked eighth in the league for three-pointers made, successfully shooting 39.2 percent from beyond the arc. Salaün's contributions were pivotal in the Valkyries achieving a 32-12 record in the regular season, earning them the No. 2 seed in the WNBA Playoffs. They are set to compete against the Las Vegas Aces in the WNBA Semifinals today at 4 p.m. ET on NBC.

Previously selected for the WNBA All-Rookie Team in 2025, Salaün recorded at least 20 points in six games this season, tying for the fourth-most such performances by a reserve in league history, with the Valkyries winning all six contests.

In recognition of her achievement, Salaün will receive a trophy and a monetary award of $15,000.

The list of previous recipients of the Kia WNBA Sixth Player of the Year Award includes:

2007 – Plenette Pierson, Detroit

2008 – Candice Wiggins, Minnesota

2009 – DeWanna Bonner, Phoenix

2010 – DeWanna Bonner, Phoenix

2011 – DeWanna Bonner, Phoenix

2012 – Renee Montgomery, Connecticut

2013 – Riquna Williams, Tulsa

2014 – Allie Quigley, Chicago

2015 – Allie Quigley, Chicago

2016 – Jantel Lavender, Los Angeles

2017 – Sugar Rodgers, New York

2018 – Jonquel Jones, Connecticut

2019 – Dearica Hamby, Las Vegas

2020 – Dearica Hamby, Las Vegas

2021 – Kelsey Plum, Las Vegas

2022 – Brionna Jones, Connecticut

2023 – Alysha Clark, Las Vegas

2024 – Tiffany Hayes, Las Vegas

2025 – Naz Hillmon, Atlanta

2026 – Janelle Salaün, Golden State.