Janelle Salaün may only be 23 years old and just started her first WNBA season, but her resume is already stacked. She has already won five medals across EuroBasket, World Cup, and Olympic competitions, playing for the French youth and senior national team. Recently, before joining the Valkyries, Salaün also won an Italian league championship with Famila Schio and took home the Finals MVP.
Representing France in EuroBasket, Salaün has the chance to add to her already stacked resume. France will be without some key players, but the latest FIBA EuroBasket power rankings still list France as the top team, ahead of Belgium and Spain.
Janelle Salaün has a chance to secure another medal with France
Janelle Salaün has suited up for the French senior national team twice. In 2023, she played in EuroBasket, and, in 2024, she went to the Olympics in Paris. She won a bronze medal at EuroBasket and a silver medal at the Olympics.
The French national team has long been one of the strongest teams in Europe and almost took down the U.S. in Paris. This time around, the team will be without top scorers Gabby Williams and Marine Johannes. Youngsters Carla Leite and Dominique Molanga also won’t be playing.
Nevertheless, France has a solid roster, headlined by Salaün, who played the fifth-most minutes in the Olympics, Leila Lecan, Valerian Ayayi, and Iliana Rupert.
The absence of Gabby Williams and Marine Johannes leaves the team vulnerable and requires others to step up. Nevertheless, France has played well in the first prep games. They beat Belgium and Turkey handily before losing to Belgium by three points in a rematch. Salaün, who figures to be one of the team’s best players, wasn’t available for any of the games because of her WNBA commitment with the Valkyries.
“Not unbeatable, but it’s looking like their title to lose,” is the conclusion to the FIBA power rankings that list France as the top team in EuroBasket.
The Valkyries will be well-represented in EuroBasket
Salaün is not the only Valkyries player to represent her country in EuroBasket. Julie Vanloo will suit up for Belgium, Cecilia Zandalasini is playing for Italy, Temi Fagbenle is set to lead Great Britain, and first-round pick Juste Jocyte is playing for Lithuania.
Out of that group, Vanloo and the Belgium national team have the best chance of beating France. Belgium is currently ranked second in FIBA’s power rankings despite a rough loss to France. After all, the loss happened without Julie Vanloo and Julie Allemand there. With Emma Meesseman, Belgium may also have the best player in the tournament.