Janelle Salaun Set to Shine in WNBA Debut with Golden State Valkyries

The Golden State Valkyries are gearing up for their first regular season win this Wednesday night as they face off against the Washington Mystics. And making her much-anticipated WNBA debut is none other than Janelle Salaun.

Now, let’s be real for a second. Janelle’s got a lot on her plate. She’s just wrapped up her overseas stint and is now diving headfirst into the WNBA. I mean, moving from the EuroLeague to the U.S. is no small feat, right? But the 23-year-old forward is feeling pretty good about her new home, surrounded by supportive teammates on this expansion team in the heart of basketball-loving Northern California.

Sure, the transition has been a bit overwhelming since she touched down last Thursday, but every day she’s getting more comfortable both on and off the court. “I’m really 100%... it’s really basketball, basketball that helps me be more comfortable. I’m here for this,” she said, showing that fierce determination.

Janelle knows she needs to adjust quickly, and honestly, that’s the toughest part for her right now. “We are Day 2 and I feel much better,” she shared. “People are great here and helped me a lot. Everybody is trying to give me the rhythm, and I’m really grateful for that. I appreciate everyone here—coaches, players, everyone is trying to help me.”

Let’s not forget, this isn’t just any player we’re talking about. Salaun is a silver medalist with France from the Paris Olympics last summer and just led Beretta Famila Schio to the Italian League title, snagging Finals MVP honors along the way. Talk about impressive!

When it comes to the Valkyries’ style of play, Janelle sees a lot of similarities. “Physically, we run a lot. I love that actually,” she said. “I think this is the part of my game that will translate the most, the physicality, and I feel it. Little things really, but it’s still basketball. I’m still playing with great players, so not much differences but more like things that look alike.”

Teammate Carla Leite, who played alongside Salaun on the French national team, is stepping up to help her get settled in. “She’s a great shooter, she runs and she’s very tall,” Leite said. “I think it’s difficult to arrive late, so I need to help her, on defense and offense.”

As the Valkyries prepare for their second game at Chase Center, Salaun is already getting the hang of the plays and various sets. The team’s coaches have been proactive, arriving early at the Oakland training facility to work with her. “She’s picking things up really fast,” said coach Natalie Nakase. “But we were sending her stuff when she played overseas, we were sending her film, we were doing Zoom sessions. We’re preparing her.”

Of course, they’re also keeping a close eye on her court time to avoid overdoing it, especially since she’s just come off a championship series. “I don’t know if it’s a curse that she just came from a championship series, so she’s already in shape,” Nakase joked. “We’ve talked about does she need a break? We’re going to monitor that over the next month to make sure, which we are. Our medical team is doing a great job giving the amount of minutes that she can scrimmage and for every drill they tell me exactly how many minutes she needs to go.”

All this care and attention means a lot to Salaun. “Everyone is trying their best to get me comfortable,” she said. “It’s actually great.”

For those looking to catch the action, CBS News Bay Area is the official broadcast partner of the Golden State Valkyries. Wednesday’s game will be broadcast live on PIX+ channel 44 cable 12, and Sacramento fans can tune in on KMAX. Don’t miss out on the full broadcast schedule!