Janelle Salaün
Janelle Illona Salaün, born on 5 September 2001 in Paris, is a French professional basketball player who stands 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) tall and can play as a small forward or power forward. She has played for several clubs in Europe and joined the Golden State Valkyries in the WNBA in 2025 after signing a training camp contract.
Her club career began with Flammes Carolo (2019–2020), then she moved to Villeneuve-d’Ascq (2020–2024). For the 2024–2025 season she played for Famila Schio in Italy, helping the team win the Italian league and earning the Finals MVP honor. In 2025 she signed with USK Praha in the Czech Republic, and later that year joined the Golden State Valkyries, where she made the WNBA All-Rookie Team with strong rookie-season numbers.
Salaün also plays for the France national team. She contributed to France’s silver medal run at the 2024 Paris Olympics. In youth competition, she won gold with the France U16 team at the 2018 European Championship and silver at the 2018 U17 World Cup. She was MVP of the European Challengers in 2021, a tournament organized by FIBA after the U20 European Championship was canceled.
Early in her development, Salaün trained at the Centre Fédéral and posted solid numbers in Ligue 2 (about 9.4 points and 7.7 rebounds per game in 2018–2019). She comes from a basketball family—her parents played the game, and her brother Tidjane Salaün plays in the NBA. She is of Guadeloupean descent and is known for her versatility, combining interior size with good outside shooting.
Notes: All stats listed are through the end of the 2025 season.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 04:43 (CET).