French star Janelle Salaun prepares for WNBA debut with expansion Golden State Valkyries

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French star Janelle Salaun prepares for WNBA debut with expansion Golden State Valkyries

2025-05-20 08:07 Last Updated At：08:11

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Janelle Salaun finished up her individual shooting drills after practice with the Golden State Valkyries on Monday and proclaimed herself more than ready to make her WNBA debut.

She hopes that will be Wednesday night against the Washington Mystics in front of the the boisterous Bay Area fans.

Even with a late start from playing overseas and learning curve moving from the EuroLeague and adjustments that come with moving across the world to play professionally, the 23-year-old forward realizes she has landed in the right spot with supportive international teammates on an expansion team in basketball-loving Northern California.

The transition has been a bit daunting since she arrived Thursday but each day Salaun makes strides in feeling more familiar with everything on and off the court — and she said there are no comforts she needs at her home because “I'm really 100% ... it's really basketball, basketball that helps me be more comfortable. I'm here for this.”

“I need to adjust quickly and that's the most challenging part for me but we are Day 2 and I feel much better,” she said. “People are great here and helped me a lot. Everybody is trying to give me the rhythm and and I'm really grateful for that. I appreciate everyone here — coaches, players, everyone is trying to help me.”

A silver medalist with France at the Paris Olympics last summer, Salaun is fresh off leading Beretta Famila Schio to the Italian League title and Finals MVP honors.

There are plenty of similarities in Golden State's style of play.

“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.”

Valkyries teammate Carla Leite played alongside Salaun on the French national team and will do her best to assist getting Salaun acclimated in the coming weeks and months.

"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.

And Salaun is beginning to learn the plays and various sets ahead of the team's second game Wednesday at Chase Center, where the Valkyries sold out their long-anticipated opener on Friday.

The coaches arrived early at the Oakland training facility Monday to work with Salaun.

“She's picking things up really fast,” coach Natalie Nakase said. “But we were sending her stuff when she played overseas, we were sending her film, we were doing Zoom sessions. We're preparing her.”

Part of that also will be monitoring her court time early on to avoid overuse considering Salaun has been playing.

Each activity she does is carefully thought out to keep her fresh and healthy.

“I don't know if it's a curse that she just came from a championship series, so she's already in shape,” Nakase said. “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 of that care and attention to detail means so much to Salaun.

“Everyone is trying their best to get me comfortable,” she said. “It's actually great.”

AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball

Thousands of nurses go on strike at several major New York City hospitals

NEW YORK (AP) — Thousands of nurses in three hospital systems in New York City went on strike Monday after negotiations through the weekend failed to yield breakthroughs in their contract disputes.

The strike was taking place at The Mount Sinai Hospital and two of its satellite campuses, with picket lines forming. The other affected hospitals are NewYork-Presbyterian and Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx.

About 15,000 nurses are involved in the strike, according to New York State Nurses Association.

“After months of bargaining, management refused to make meaningful progress on core issues that nurses have been fighting for: safe staffing for patients, healthcare benefits for nurses, and workplace violence protections,” the union said in a statement issued Monday. “Management at the richest hospitals in New York City are threatening to discontinue or radically cut nurses’ health benefits.”

The strike, which comes during a severe flu season, could potentially force the hospitals to transfer patients, cancel procedures or divert ambulances. It could also put a strain on city hospitals not involved in the contract dispute, as patients avoid the medical centers hit by the strike.

The hospitals involved have been hiring temporary nurses to try and fill the labor gap during the walkout, and said in a statement during negotiations that they would “do whatever is necessary to minimize disruptions.” Montefiore posted a message assuring patients that appointments would be kept.

“NYSNA’s leaders continue to double down on their $3.6 billion in reckless demands, including nearly 40% wage increases, and their troubling proposals like demanding that a nurse not be terminated if found to be compromised by drugs or alcohol while on the job," Montefiore spokesperson Joe Solmonese said Monday after the strike had started. "We remain resolute in our commitment to providing safe and seamless care, regardless of how long the strike may last.”

New York-Presbyterian accused the union of staging a strike to “create disruption,” but said in a statement that it has taken steps to ensure patients receive the care they need.

"We’re ready to keep negotiating a fair and reasonable contract that reflects our respect for our nurses and the critical role they play, and also recognizes the challenging realities of today’s healthcare environment,” the statement said.

The work stoppage is occurring at multiple hospitals simultaneously, but each medical center is negotiating with the union independently. Several other hospitals across the city and in its suburbs reached deals in recent days to avert a possible strike.

The nurses’ demands vary by hospital, but the major issues include staffing levels and workplace safety. The union says hospitals have given nurses unmanageable workloads.

Nurses also want better security measures in the workplace, citing incidents like a an incident last week, when a man with a sharp object barricaded himself in a Brooklyn hospital room and was then killed by police.

The union also wants limitations on hospitals’ use of artificial intelligence.

The nonprofit hospitals involved in the negotiations say they’ve been working to improve staffing levels, but say the union’s demands overall are too costly.

Nurses voted to authorize the strike last month.

Both New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani had expressed concern about the possibility of the strike. As the strike deadline neared, Mamdani urged both sides to keep negotiating and reach a deal that “both honors our nurses and keeps our hospitals open.”

“Our nurses kept this city alive through its hardest moments. Their value is not negotiable,” Mamdani said.

State Attorney General Letitia James voiced similar support, saying "nurses put their lives on the line every day to keep New Yorkers healthy. They should never be forced to choose between their own safety, their patients’ well-being, and a fair contract.”

The last major nursing strike in the city was only three years ago, in 2023. That work stoppage, at Mount Sinai and Montefiore, was short, lasting three days. It resulted in a deal raising pay 19% over three years at those hospitals.

It also led to promised staffing improvements, though the union and hospitals now disagree about how much progress has been made, or whether the hospitals are retreating from staffing guarantees.