Salaun Brings the Field's Best Percentage Into Tonight's 3-Point Contest

She owns the best three-point percentage of the six shooters and a 14-of-27 hot streak, yet oddsmakers rank her third behind Azzi Fudd and Marina Mabrey. Gabby Williams starts for Team Coop tomorrow.

Tonight is the first Valkyrie night of All-Star weekend

The State Farm WNBA 3-Point Contest, alongside the Kia Shooting Stars, tips at 5 p.m. PT tonight at Wintrust Arena in Chicago on ESPN, Disney+, and the ESPN App, and Janelle Salaun is the first Golden State Valkyrie ever to enter the shootout (Valkyries official).

The case for her is built on season-long efficiency. Salaun ranks fifth in the WNBA with 67 made threes, which leads all reserves and is the second-most by a reserve in a single season in league history. Her 39.4 percent from deep ranks third in the WNBA (minimum five attempts per game), and her 2.5 makes per game rank eighth. She has four games with five or more threes, tied for third-most in the league. She has done all of it off the bench, averaging 13.0 points in 22.8 minutes with zero starts (Valkyries official).

She also arrives hot. Over her final five games before the break, Salaun converted 14 of 27 from beyond the arc, 51.9 percent, the best finishing kick of anyone in the field (Covers).

The format rewards a clean, repeatable stroke. It is a two-round, timed competition across five racks around the arc. Four racks hold four balls plus one "money" ball worth two points, and a fifth "all money ball" rack is worth two points per make, with each shooter choosing where to place it. Two pedestals sit at deep "From the Logo" spots, each shot worth three points and triggering a State Farm donation to Girls Who Code. The top two scores advance to the final (WNBA).

The field, and why the books like someone else

Six shooters compete, and only two have done this before. Marina Mabrey, who finished last in the 2024 contest with 19 points, and Rhyne Howard, who reached the final round in 2022 with 24 in the first round, are the lone returnees. Azzi Fudd, Bridget Carleton, Natisha Hiedeman, and Salaun are all first-timers (NBC Sports Chicago, SI).

The odds reflect reputation and volume more than raw accuracy. Fudd, the rookie favorite, and Mabrey, who leads the league with 3.3 makes per game on 8.4 attempts, sit ahead of Salaun, who is the third choice at roughly +450 across sportsbooks (Covers, DraftKings).

Film room: efficiency against volume. Salaun's edge is her percentage, 39.4, the best in the field, but her volume is the lowest of the top three at 6.3 attempts per game. Mabrey shoots nearly the same rate, 39.2 percent, on 8.4 tries, and Howard fires 8.9 per game at 35.4. A timed rack competition favors shooters who fire in high volume and rhythm, which is the case the books are making for Mabrey and Fudd. Salaun's counter is that no one enters with more recent rhythm, and one analyst notes her compact release and consistent mechanics should translate to a timed format, making her the value play at longer odds (Covers).

Tomorrow: Williams starts

Gabby Williams starts for Team Coop in the All-Star Game tomorrow at United Center, 5:30 p.m. PT on ABC and Disney+ (Valkyries official). It sends her back to Chicago, where she began her WNBA career with three Sky seasons, for her first All-Star start.

Tracking

• All-Star roster. Angel Reese's status is the only unresolved slot. She left Sunday's game with a knee injury and has had no update, with the Dream off through the break. If she cannot play, the replacement figures to be a forward, Phoenix's Alyssa Thomas, which keeps Veronica Burton out (USA Today, AP).
• Standings at the break. Minnesota leads at 22-6, Golden State is 19-8 and second (2.5 back), Las Vegas 18-8 and third (3.0 back) (WNBA). The Lynx added Napheesa Collier back from offseason ankle surgery this week.
• Next game. The Valkyries are off until July 29 at Phoenix.