Enes Kanter Freedom praises WNBA Finals players, rips leadership after Valkyries’ historic championship win
The Golden State Valkyries beat the Atlanta Dream 68-63 in the first Game 7 in WNBA Finals history, securing their first championship in only their second season. Former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom praised the players but criticised the league’s leadership, saying off-court controversies had distracted from their performances.
Gabby Williams led the Valkyries with 30 points. Freedom renewed his stated intention to enter the 2027 WNBA Draft, although the league has ruled him ineligible; its 2026 collective bargaining agreement says only women may play, without setting out a separate policy for transgender women. Commissioner Cathy Engelbert has said Freedom is a man and will retire at the end of 2026.
In short
- Golden State won its first WNBA title in its second season.
- Gabby Williams scored 30 points in the historic Game 7.
- Freedom renewed his draft bid despite the league ruling him ineligible.
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The case for
Freedom’s criticism could be seen as a call for league leaders to keep attention on the athletes’ achievements and address controversies clearly, so disputes about the organisation do not overshadow players’ work. On this view, praising the Valkyries while questioning leadership is a legitimate form of scrutiny, especially when league rules and eligibility decisions are contested.
The case against
The historic final and the players’ performances deserve attention in their own right, and bringing leadership controversies into the response may draw focus away from the athletes’ achievement. The league can also argue that eligibility and participation rules are matters for its established governance and collective bargaining process, rather than decisions to be settled through public criticism.
Explained simply
The WNBA is the top professional women’s basketball league in the United States. Its championship is decided by a series of games between the two finalists, with a Game 7 played if the teams are tied at three wins each.
The Golden State Valkyries are a relatively new team, while Cathy Engelbert is the league’s commissioner. Enes Kanter Freedom is a former NBA player who has said he wants to enter the WNBA Draft; the league has ruled him ineligible, and its collective bargaining agreement says players must be women.
The dispute has drawn attention to who can play in the league and how its leadership handles public controversies. It sits alongside the players’ on-court achievements, including Gabby Williams’s scoring for the Valkyries.