Enes Kanter Freedom renews WNBA draft push after Valkyries' historic title
Web StoryWatch this story in 15 seconds →Key takeaways
- Enes Kanter Freedom praised the Golden State Valkyries after their 68-63 Game 7 win over the Atlanta Dream. The win gave the expansion team its first title in only its second season.
- The former NBA center also attacked WNBA leadership in his statement. He repeated his threat to enter the 2027 WNBA Draft.
- The league has already ruled him ineligible under its "only women" rule. Megan Rapinoe called his campaign "grifting" and "embarrassing."
Why people are talking about him
Why is everyone talking about Enes Kanter Freedom today?
The former NBA player reacted to the biggest game in WNBA history. He praised the players but attacked the league office. Then he repeated his promise to enter the 2027 WNBA Draft.
What happened
The Golden State Valkyries beat the Atlanta Dream 68-63 on Saturday, October 31, 2026. The game was played at Chase Center in San Francisco.
It was the first Game 7 in WNBA Finals history. Gabby Williams led the Valkyries with 30 points.
The win gave Golden State its first championship. The team did it in only its second season. It was a landmark night for the league.
Hours later, Kanter issued a statement to Fox News reporter Jackson Thompson. He opened with praise for the players.
"I'm so proud of all these hardworking, talented women who have dedicated their lives to basketball," he said. "They deserve all the recognition, respect, and support in the world."
Then he turned on the league office. "I just wish they had better leadership," he said. "The conversation should be about their incredible performances on the court, not controversies off it," he added.
He closed with a warning. "My hope is that next year we can finally have some peace," he said.
"But if not, I'll see you ladies at the 2027 WNBA Draft. Rules are rules!"
Why it matters
This is not a new fight. Kanter announced his draft bid in August 2026. He said he identifies as a woman.
He argued that the league's eligibility wording allows him to enter. The WNBA has rejected that claim completely.
Commissioner Cathy Engelbert answered Republican lawmakers on October 16. She wrote that "only women are eligible to play in the WNBA." She identified Kanter as a man.
The lawmakers were led by Representative Marlin Stutzman of Indiana. They had asked the league to define its eligibility standards.
Engelbert's reply was blunt. The league considers Kanter ineligible. Full stop.
The rule in question sits in the WNBA's 2026 collective bargaining agreement. Article XIII, Section 1(a) states: "Only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA."
The agreement does not spell out a separate policy for transgender women. Kanter says the wording leaves a gap.
He has said he would end his campaign if the league explicitly restricted eligibility to biological women. That condition has not been met.
The dispute has a direct link to Saturday's star. In May, Williams said she would welcome a transgender athlete on her team.
"I would welcome a trans athlete on my team or against my team, anytime," she said. Kanter later cited her words as the inspiration for his draft announcement.
The Associated Press reported in October that no transgender woman had played in the WNBA. That fact sits at the center of the debate.
The Stephanie White clash
Kanter also attacked Indiana Fever coach Stephanie White this week. White was asked whether transgender athletes should play in women's sports.
She declined to take a firm stand. "I don't know that I would say that I'm educated enough from a scientific standpoint," White said, according to Yahoo Sports. "I don't ever believe that exclusion is an answer," she added.
Kanter jumped on her answer. He claimed male players are watching the debate closely.
"I've been actually in touch with three European players, three G League players and two former NBA players," he said. "They said if they don't change rules, we are all in."
Then he went further. "So at that point, why do we have a women's league?" he asked.
"Let's get rid of the WNBA, let's merge the two leagues, and let's see what they can do in a men's league."
White pushed back against the noise around her team. "The hate, the fearmongering, the divisiveness that's trying to hijack our league will not win," she said.
"Love will win. Grace will win." White pushed back hard against the noise.
"Humility will win and kindness will win," she said.
The pushback
Not everyone is taking Kanter seriously. Megan Rapinoe mocked the campaign on the podcast Who's With Me?
The show is hosted by W. Kamau Bell.
She called it "grifting" and "embarrassing." "Y'all have nothing better to do," Rapinoe said on the show.
She has long defended trans athletes in sports. She said she "can't wait to see an elite, elite trans person play sports."
A league source took the same view. The declarations are "simply publicity stunts," the source told Yahoo Sports reporter Cassandra Negley.
The league "won't give oxygen to" them, the source said. The message was clear. The WNBA is ignoring the stunt.
Royce White, another former NBA player, also announced plans to enter the 2027 draft. He last played in the NBA in 2014. Rapinoe dismissed both campaigns in the same interview.
Off-court chaos
Kanter's Finals month was chaotic off the court too. On October 21, he left State Farm Arena in Atlanta before Game 3.
He refused to move from his purchased seat to a private suite. Arena officials said the suite was arranged for his safety.
They said state police had assigned him an officer at his request. Kanter insisted he wanted to sit in the seat he bought.
Earlier, the Chicago Sky banned him from home games. That followed an August 23 clash with guard Natasha Cloud.
Sky owner Michael Alter backed the ban on safety grounds. He said Kanter had made himself a threat by stepping toward Cloud during the exchange.
Kanter has also reported death threats over his Finals plans. He said he contacted the FBI about them.
What happens next
The Valkyries can celebrate now. Their Game 7 win closed the 2026 season on a historic note.
The story of their Game 1 win set the tone for the whole series. Angel Reese's 30-point game earlier in the Finals showed how high the level was.
But the eligibility fight is not over. Kanter says he will declare for the 2027 draft if nothing changes.
Engelbert announced in September that she will retire at the end of 2026. She has served more than seven years as commissioner.
A new commissioner will face the same question. The WNBA will have to decide how clear its rules must be.
Kanter wants a rule that names biological sex explicitly. The players deserve the focus to return to the court. Whether that happens depends on who blinks first.
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