SerpApi.Org
Bay Area basketball fans may have been disappointed that Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry sat out the three-point contest this year, but they didn’t have to wait long to get some representation. On Tuesday it was announced that a different Golden State sharpshooter, Valkyries forward Janelle Salaün, is headed for the shooting exhibition, as she was selected to the six-player WNBA three-point contest that will take place on Friday in Chicago.
Salaün, a 24-year old from France who signed with the Valkyries as an undrafted free agent last year, has been one of the league’s most prolific shooters from deep this year, so her inclusion in the three-point contest is very much deserved. She’s averaging 2.5 made threes per game, which is seventh in the WNBA, and her 39.4% clip is better than all but one of the players with more made threes than her. She’s made five threes in four of Golden State’s 27 games this year.
If Salaün wants to win the contest, she’ll have to beat some very talented shooters: Marina Mabrey of the Toronto Tempo, Natisha Hiedeman of the Seattle Storm, Rhyne Howard of the Atlanta Dream, Bridget Carleton of the Portland Fire, and rookie Azzi Fudd of the Dallas Wings.
The State Farm Three-Point Contest and the Kia Shooting Stars challenge both take place on Friday night, while the All-Star game is on Saturday at 5:00 p.m. PT on ESPN and Disney+. The Valkyries will also be represented in the Saturday fun, as Gabby Williams was named an All-Star starter.
