ATLANTA â Angel Reese helped the Atlanta Dream win a WNBA Finals game for the first time Monday. Two nights later, she helped them take their first lead in a Finals series.
Reese finished with 21 points and 12 rebounds as Atlanta beat the Golden State Valkyries 97-71 on Wednesday night at State Farm Arena, taking a 2â1 lead in the best-of-seven series. Reese has totaled 51 points and 28 rebounds in Atlantaâs two victories.
Reese became the youngest player in WNBA Finals history to record at least 20 points and 10 rebounds in consecutive games, joining Aâja Wilson as the only players to accomplish the feat.
And to give the Dream and their fans credit, I previously questioned whether Atlanta could fill State Farm Arena for the Finals. They answered that with a resounding yes on Wednesday night. Game 3 was a sellout, and the building was loud.
Before tip-off, both teams again left the court for the national anthem, marking their third straight absence in the series. They returned moments after the performance ended. The WNBAâs rulebook calls for players, coaches and trainers to stand and line up during the anthem, and the league has not answered OutKickâs questions about the absences.
Once the game started, Reese picked up where she left off in San Francisco. She scored Atlantaâs first basket and finished the opening quarter with eight points, including a three-pointer that pushed the Dreamâs lead to 22â12.
Golden State missed its first eight shots and didnât make a field goal until 4:38 remained in the first quarter. Atlanta led 23â15 after one.
Reese added another three in the second quarter and went into halftime with 15 points, matching her first-half total from Game 2. Naz Hillmon made three first-half threes of her own, helping Atlanta take a 46â40 lead into the break.
The Valkyries made a push to start the third. Cecilia Zandalasini hit two threes in the opening 68 seconds, and Golden State tied the game at 48, then again at 49.
Reese helped Atlanta answer. After Rhyne Howard put the Dream back in front, Reese made two free throws, assisted on an Isobel Borlase layup and scored on a running layup herself. That completed an 8â0 run and gave Atlanta a 57â49 lead.
Golden State cut the deficit to four, but the Dream kept scoring after Reese went to the bench with 3:31 left in the quarter. DeWanna Bonner hit a three to start a 12â2 finish to the period, scoring five points during that stretch.
Atlanta led 71â57 entering the fourth and Golden State never really threatened in the final period.
Hillmon finished with 15 points, while Jordin Canada added 8 assists. Rhyne Howard had her best offensive performance of the series, scoring 16 points.
Atlanta again held down Golden Stateâs Gabby Williams, who finished with 15 points on 5-of-18 shooting.
Atlanta entered these Finals without a win in its three previous appearances, then lost Saturdayâs opener. Now Reese and the Dream are two victories from a championship.
ATLANTA – A change of cities did not bring a change in the Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries’ national anthem routine.
Both teams were off the court during the anthem before Game 3 of the WNBA Finals on Wednesday night at State Farm Arena, marking their third straight absence despite a provision in the league’s own rulebook calling for players to stand and line up during the performance.
Just like in Games 1 and 2, players jogged off the court just seconds before the start of the anthem and returned mere moments after it concluded.
The WNBA, both teams and the NBA still have not answered OutKick’s questions about the absences.
WNBA rulebook calls for players to stand and line up
The WNBA’s 2026 official rulebook says players, coaches and trainers are to "stand and line up in a dignified posture" along the sidelines or on the foul line during the national anthem.
OutKick asked the WNBA whether any discipline was planned or under consideration following the anthem absences, whether either team had received an exemption and whether the league would instruct the teams to be on the court for Game 3.
Both teams were asked to explain their absences and whether the league had communicated any instructions or expectations about the anthem.
OutKick first contacted the WNBA, Dream and Valkyries after Saturday’s opener, followed up Sunday and contacted all three again Tuesday.
NBA also received questions before Game 3
The questions extended to the NBA league office before the series moved to Atlanta.
OutKick contacted NBA Executive Vice President and Chief Communications Officer Mike Bass on Tuesday, asking whether the NBA has any role in overseeing or enforcing the WNBA’s anthem provision.
The inquiry also asked whether NBA Commissioner Adam Silver or anyone at the NBA league office had discussed the absences with WNBA leadership, whether any guidance had been provided and whether the teams would be instructed to be present for Wednesday’s anthem.
The NBA did not respond.
OutKick also sought to ask about the anthem during the Finals press conferences. I raised my hand at all five of Saturday’s pregame and postgame sessions, all four coaches’ sessions Monday and both coaches’ pregame sessions Wednesday, but was not called on in any of the 11.
The teams weren’t the only ones who didn’t stand for Wednesday’s anthem.
Two people seated in an area designated for WNBA public relations staff remained in their seats during the performance. Afterward, I asked both why they hadn’t stood. Neither provided an explanation.
OutKick could not immediately confirm their identities and is working to determine their names and roles.
The venue changed, but the anthem absences continued.
Three games into the Finals, the WNBA’s own rulebook calls for a lineup, its teams remain off the floor and the league still has not explained the apparent violation.
Former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom was seen leaving State Farm Arena on Wednesday after a heated and lengthy confrontation with police at the security entrance over his seating arrangement for Game 3 of the WNBA Finals.
Prior to the game, Freedom was directed to watch Wednesday night’s WNBA Finals game from a private luxury suite with additional security after contacting authorities and basketball officials about concerns for his safety. Freedom was seen saying "I guess they'll have to drag me," in a video of a phone conversation with arena security, defying the directive.
When he arrived at the arena, he was told that if he were let in, he was told by a security officer he would have to go to the suite that was designated for him, to which Freedom aggressively protested, as seen in footage posted by Benny Johnson.
Freedom repeatedly demanded access to the seats he said he had purchased, rejecting the suite arrangement. "I purchased thousands of dollars of tickets, right? And I would like to sit on my seat. That’s all I want," he said.
An official cited both Freedom’s previously expressed safety concerns and his ejection from an earlier WNBA game as reasons for the arrangement. "For one, you expressed you were concerned about your security. You showed up here, right, with security," the official said. "So we’re saying we’re gonna make this a safe environment for you."
The exchange grew more contentious when an official referenced Freedom’s social media post about a player. Freedom defended the post as free speech. When told he was targeting people, he repeatedly demanded to know whom the official meant.
"Give me a name. Give me exactly a name," he said.
Freedom was also told he would receive a refund, but continued to reject the arrangement.
"I don’t want a refund. I would like to sit on my seat and enjoy the game," he said.
He accused those handling the encounter of bullying him and compared the proposed suite restriction to being placed in a cage.
Officers ultimately told Freedom he had to leave the property, explaining that he could go onto public streets. He eventually departed, saying, "Well, I guess you got to escort me," before walking away.
Afterward, Freedom accused the organizations involved of excluding him because of his advocacy.
"They kicked me out of the game for supporting women," he said in a conversation with Johnson. "Shame on the NBA and shame on the WNBA."
He also denied having security concerns, despite his earlier statements about threats and the explanation given during the encounter.
Asked whether he felt discriminated against, Freedom responded, "Of course, this is discrimination."
The arrangement for Game 3 between the Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries at State Farm Arena follows Freedom’s public claims that he received death threats over his planned attendance. He previously told OutKick he was in contact with the FBI and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp's office about the threats.
State Farm Arena provided a statement to OutKick outlining the security arrangements. Freedom contacted federal, state and local authorities, along with the WNBA, the Dream and arena officials.
"Enes Kanter Freedom has contacted federal, state and local authorities, the WNBA, the Atlanta Dream and State Farm Arena officials to express concerns about his personal safety during his planned attendance at Game 3 of the WNBA Finals tonight. The safety and security of our guests and team members is our highest priority," the statement read."
"Following consultations with the WNBA, Dream ownership, State Farm Arena leadership and security officials, we have directed Mr. Freedom to watch tonight’s game from a private luxury suite. This arrangement is intended to address his security concerns and help provide a safe and positive experience for him and other guests. The suite will have additional security and will be his designated viewing location for the game. State police have also assigned an officer to Mr. Freedom at his request."
Freedom posted a video on X of his conversation with a security representative about the arrangements.
"I don't want a suite, I would like to to sit on the seat that I bought and purchased. I do not want a suite, I'm going to come and sit on the seats that I just bought, that's it," Freedom said when the representative informed him that he would have to sit in a suite.
The representative responded, telling Freedom, "The only thing available to you tonight is the suite."
Freedom subsequently responded, declaring, "Do you know everyone, every media that is going to hear about this right?" later adding, "I guess they'll have to drag me."
Freedom previously told OutKick he had received "thousands of death threats" after announcing his plans to attend, including messages warning that he would be "the next Charlie Kirk." The number of threats he described has not been independently verified.
"My DMs are full of pictures and videos of the moment that Charlie Kirk got shot," Freedom said, adding that the messages warned he would suffer the same fate. He also posted a compilation Tuesday showing messages he presented as threats against him.
Freedom said he had contacted the FBI and arranged his own security. A spokesperson for Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp separately told OutKick that the governor’s office had connected Freedom’s team with the appropriate law enforcement resources.
Despite the threats, Freedom said he intended to attend to support women’s basketball. Asked how he would respond if a player confronted him, he said he would avoid escalating the encounter and would remain off the court.
Freedom’s planned appearance comes after his removal from an August game between the Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever following a heated interaction with Sky guard Natasha Cloud. He was subsequently banned from the Chicago arena.
The former NBA center has challenged the WNBA over eligibility for transgender athletes and announced an attempt to enter its draft.
Wednesday’s game tipped off at 8 p.m. Eastern. Atlanta and the Hawks arranged for the Dream to host Games 3 and 4 at State Farm Arena, moving the championship games from the smaller Gateway Center Arena.
Vice President JD Vance sharply called out WNBA players in the league finals over skipping the national anthem during an interview Wednesday, calling them "disgraceful."
Players from both the Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries have left the court during the national anthem before the first two games of the WNBA Finals, despite a rule in the league’s own rulebook specifically calling for players to stand and line up during the performance.
"I think it's disgraceful," Vance told host Raymond Arroyo on "Arroyo Grande." "I think that you should not express some criticism of a public policy of a given politician by disrespecting the country writ large. I mean, those women who play for the WNBA, think of the public safety, think of the incredible wealth and privilege, the amazing jobs that they have. They have a lot to be grateful to the United States for, and I think that if they had a bit more of a spirit of gratitude, they'd be happier people, and they wouldn't offend so many people as well."
Vance also appeared to cite Saint Augustine’s idea of Ordo Amoris, a concept from Catholic thought that Vance cited in 2025 to defend administration deportation policies.
"I've gotten some trouble talking about this, but I'll just talk about it again," Vance said. "One of the ways I understand the Catholic understanding is that we have various orders of duty, and you know, our closest and most immediate duty, of course, is to our family and to the people in our immediate circle. But we, of course, owe duties to the entire world. We owe duties to the stranger. But I also think a good and coherent understanding of the Christian self is that you are part of a national community."
He added, "Whether you were born in the United States or whether you came here by choice, this is your country. And I think that we're all meant to love it. We're all meant to try to make it the best version of itself. But fundamentally, I think, without love of country, I think that you're going to be a disordered human being."
Fox News Digital spoke to veteran GOP strategist Mary Marslender, who argued, like Vance, that the basketball players lack perspective on how great it is to live in the United States.
"The WNBA players are treating a country that has given them extraordinary privileges as if it were an oppressor, while ignoring that American women enjoy rights and opportunities that remain rare or nonexistent for most women elsewhere," she said. "They seem to forget that a league like the WNBA exists and its players can publicly dissent without fear of state reprisal solely because of these rights and opportunities. If these activists hate this country that much, they are free to leave it. The rest of us are done with this disrespect."
Fox News Digital reached out to the WNBA, as well as the Women's National Basketball Players Association, and did not receive an immediate reply.
OutKick's Dan Zaksheske contributed to this report.
The Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries left the court for the national anthem before the first two games of the WNBA Finals. Now Riley Gaines is arguing that those decisions should carry consequences when athletes seek to represent the United States internationally.
"It’s my personal opinion that if you kneel for the flag and what it represents, you shouldn’t be able to represent the USA at the Olympics," Gaines wrote on X.
"The American flag and our national anthem do not represent whichever political party or administration happens to be in power. They represent the American people, our shared identity, the freedoms we enjoy, and the generations of men and women who fought, sacrificed and died to preserve those freedoms," Gaines said.
"Players who leave the court specifically to avoid the national anthem are making a deliberate statement. They are free to do so, of course. Free speech includes the freedom to withhold respect."
"But I’m of the mind that choice has consequences when the same athletes later seek the honor of representing the United States on the international stage."
Neither Finals team nor the WNBA has answered OutKick’s questions about the anthem absences. Nor has the NBA, whose commissioner, Adam Silver, is helping lead the search for the WNBA’s next commissioner.
Gaines said patriotism does not require blind allegiance to a political party or pretending America is without flaws. But she argued that athletes seeking to represent the country should be judged on how they treat its anthem.
"If an athlete treats standing for the anthem as optional or objectionable during the WNBA season, it is reasonable to question whether they are prepared to accept the full weight of representing the country when the spotlight is global," she said.
Former Georgia state Rep. Vernon Jones called Tuesday for players from both teams to lose their eligibility to represent the United States in Olympic basketball.
Jones wrote that those players "should be ineligible to play on the U.S. Women’s Olympic Basketball Team."
Atlanta’s Team USA connection includes Angel Reese and Rhyne Howard
Reese and Howard were both named to Team USA’s 2026 Women’s World Cup roster. The Dream announced their selections in August, noting that they became the first two players in franchise history selected together for the United States at a five-on-five Women’s World Cup or Olympics.
Golden State had no players on that U.S. World Cup roster, but Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase served as a U.S. assistant coach. Golden State star Gabby Williams represents France.
Both Reese and Howard stood for the national anthem while representing the United States at September’s FIBA Women’s World Cup.
But representing the United States internationally comes with an extra responsibility to show respect for the country at home.
And that responsibility doesn't disappear when the USA jersey comes off and the WNBA jersey goes on. Staying off the court while the anthem plays during the WNBA Finals falls short of the standard we should expect from athletes entrusted with representing this country.
Sage Steele warns anthem absences could drive fans away
Former ESPN anchor Sage Steele also criticized the league in a social media video.
Steele accused the WNBA’s players, coaches and leadership of disrespecting the country by leaving the court for the anthem.
"So are they free to express themselves the way they want? Absolutely. But there’s a cost to it," Steele said.
"And I just hope they realize that this constant lack of respect is going to turn fans away forever. They’re not going to come back, and it’s going to be their own fault," Steele added.
Players are free to express themselves, but as Steele noted, that freedom can come with a price. We're not calling for the players to be jailed.
The First Amendment limits the government’s power to restrict speech, but it doesn’t require fans to support those choices or critics to stay quiet. We have the right to express our disapproval, too.
WNBA rulebook calls for an anthem lineup
Both Finals teams were off the floor during the anthem before Saturday’s opener and Monday’s Game 2 at Chase Center. In both games, the players returned within seconds of the performance ending.
The WNBA’s 2026 official rulebook includes a provision calling for players, coaches and trainers to stand and line up in a dignified posture along the sidelines or foul line during the national anthem.
OutKick contacted the WNBA and both teams after Game 1, followed up Sunday and again Tuesday. The inquiries sought explanations for the absences, clarification of the league’s anthem requirements and the teams’ plans for Game 3 on Wednesday night in Atlanta.
Those questions remain unanswered.
For Gaines, the responsibility goes beyond a WNBA pregame routine.
"Wearing the USA jersey is not a private entitlement that comes with athletic success. It is a public responsibility," she said.
The Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries left the court for the national anthem before the first two games of the WNBA Finals, despite a provision in the league’s own rulebook calling for players to stand and line up during the performance.
Now the NBA has joined the WNBA and both teams in leaving OutKick’s questions about those absences unanswered.
OutKick contacted NBA Executive Vice President and Chief Communications Officer Mike Bass on Tuesday.
The inquiry asked about the NBA’s role in the matter, possible discipline and whether the teams would be instructed to be present for the anthem before Wednesday’s Game 3.
The NBA did not respond by the deadline. The WNBA and both teams also have not answered OutKick’s repeated inquiries.
NBA asked about its role in WNBA anthem enforcement
The WNBA’s 2026 official rulebook calls for players, coaches and trainers to stand and line up along the sidelines or foul line during the national anthem.
OutKick asked Bass whether the NBA has a role in overseeing or enforcing that provision, or whether enforcement is solely the WNBA’s responsibility.
We also asked whether NBA Commissioner Adam Silver or anyone at the NBA league office had discussed the absences with WNBA leadership and, if so, what guidance had been provided.
Additional questions covered whether either team had received an exemption, whether discipline was planned or under consideration, and whether the teams would be instructed to be on the court for Game 3.
The NBA was given until the end of Tuesday to respond.
Bass’s responsibilities span both leagues. His 2026 Sports PR Summit biography says he oversees public relations, including basketball and business communications, for the NBA and WNBA, among other leagues.
Bass previously issued an NBA statement on anthem policy
In February 2021, Bass issued an official NBA statement reiterating the league’s requirement that teams play the national anthem.
The statement said "all teams will play the national anthem in keeping with longstanding league policy."
That statement addressed playing the anthem. OutKick’s current questions concern whether WNBA teams must be on the court during the performance.
Before Saturday’s WNBA Finals opener and Monday’s Game 2, both teams left the floor ahead of the anthem and returned within seconds of the performance ending.
OutKick contacted the WNBA, Dream and Valkyries after Game 1 and followed up with all three Sunday, asking about the absences, the league’s anthem requirements and plans for Game 2.
After both teams were absent again Monday, OutKick followed up with all three Tuesday, seeking explanations and asking about plans for Game 3.
OutKick attended five pregame and postgame press conferences Saturday, plus both coaches’ pregame and postgame press conferences Monday. OutKick was not called on to ask a question at any of the nine sessions.
Former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom says he is in contact with the FBI after receiving death threats over his plans to attend Game 3 of the WNBA Finals in Atlanta, including messages warning that he would be "the next Charlie Kirk."
Freedom told OutKick that he intends to attend Wednesday’s game between the Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries despite the threats, and said he was arranging security for his return to a WNBA arena following his ejection from a Chicago Sky game in August.
"So we are in touch with FBI. We have our own security," Freedom said, adding that Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp’s office has already provided him security as well.
"We have a conversation with the governor and he's providing us security as well. But we are in touch with FBI as well. There's going to be a lot of FBI officers around the game, so, and they will be protecting us."
A spokesperson from Kemp's office told OutKick, "Our office connected their team with the appropriate law enforcement resources."
Freedom described receiving "thousands of death threats" after announcing that he would attend the game. The claimed number of threats and the federal and state security arrangements he described have not been independently confirmed.
Asked about the worst threat he had received, Freedom described a message warning that he would be "the next Charlie Kirk."
"Look, I'm just simply saying that I'm going to be attending the game," he said. "My DMs are full of pictures and videos of the moment that Charlie Kirk got shot, and they're saying that you're going to be next very soon," Freedom continued. "It's a shame."
Freedom also shared a video compilation on social media Tuesday presenting messages as threats against him ahead of his trip to Atlanta.
Game 3 is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET Wednesday at State Farm Arena. The best-of-seven series is tied 1-1 after Atlanta’s 79-65 victory in Game 2 on Monday.
Freedom’s planned appearance comes amid his dispute with the WNBA over eligibility for the league. He and fellow former NBA player Royce White announced plans to enter the 2027 draft while saying they identify as women.
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert told Republican lawmakers in an Oct. 16 letter that neither is eligible, writing that "only women are eligible to play in the WNBA and the individuals you cite in your letter are both men."
Freedom has said he wants the league to adopt an explicit eligibility restriction based on biological sex. He has pointed to Valkyries player Gabby Williams’ support for transgender participation as the inspiration for his effort to enter the league.
"I'm going there to enjoy the game," Freedom said of his plans for Wednesday. "I'm going there to support all these hardworking women, especially Gabby Williams and Angel Reese."
His last visit to a WNBA game ended with his removal from an Aug. 23 contest between the Sky and Indiana Fever at Wintrust Arena following a confrontation with Chicago guard Natasha Cloud.
The Sky subsequently banned Freedom from their home games. He later filed a lawsuit alleging that his First Amendment rights had been violated. Sky owner Michael Alter disputed his account and said security removed him because of his conduct rather than his speech.
Freedom maintained in the interview that he had done nothing wrong during the Chicago incident. Asked how he would respond if another player confronted him in Atlanta, he said he did not intend to escalate an encounter.
"I'm going there to watch the game and I'm going there to support them, actually. So if a player gets in my face, I'm not planning to do anything," he said. "I did not, and I'm not going to cross the baseline or the sideline," he added.
Freedom also said Reese had blocked him on X, despite what he described as having no previous interaction with her.
"I never had a conversation. I never even seen her in my life before," he said. "Never even talked to her, never even seen her."
He nevertheless picked Atlanta to win the game and the series.
"I think it's going to be Atlanta," he said. "I think they're playing really good basketball."
Freedom teased a shirt he plans to wear to the game but did not reveal its wording during the interview. At the Chicago game, he wore a shirt bearing a definition of "woman" as an "adult human female." He said he wanted his presence in Atlanta to be understood as support for women’s sports.
"We are not here to mock or make fun of anyone or any personal decision," he said.
"Many people think that I'm going there to troll. No, I'm going there to support women, protect women, and make sure that I enjoy the game."
OutKick reached out to the FBI, the Georgia Department of Public Safety, the WNBA, the Atlanta Dream, and representatives for State Farm Arena and the Atlanta Hawks for comment on Freedom’s reported death threats, planned attendance and claims about security arrangements.
Former NBA player Royce White says he plans to explore legal avenues against the WNBA after Commissioner Cathy Engelbert told Congress that he and Enes Kanter Freedom are ineligible to play because they are men.
White told OutKick that Engelbert’s response does not resolve his challenge to the league’s eligibility standards, calling on the WNBA to explain how it defines men and women.
"We plan to explore every legal avenue possible to hold the WNBA and NBA community to their stated standards and values," White said.
Asked whether Engelbert’s letter had officially triggered a previously discussed discrimination lawsuit, White said he could not discuss particulars. He did not announce a filing or provide a timetable for taking legal action.
The dispute centers on White’s and Freedom’s efforts to enter the 2027 WNBA draft after declaring that they identify as women. During the interview, White agreed when asked whether his declaration was "for basketball purposes."
In an Oct. 16 letter responding to Republican lawmakers, Engelbert stated the league’s position directly.
"With respect to your questions regarding eligibility, only women are eligible to play in the WNBA and the individuals you cite in your letter are both men," Engelbert wrote.
The response followed a Sept. 17 inquiry from Rep. Marlin Stutzman, R-Ind., and four Republican colleagues asking how the WNBA defines "women" under its collective bargaining agreement and why White and Freedom had been deemed ineligible. The lawmakers requested answers by Oct. 16.
The agreement states that "only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA," but does not specify language concerning gender identity or sex assigned at birth, Front Office Sports reported in August.
Engelbert’s response did not supply a definition of "women" or explain the criteria used to classify White and Freedom as men.
White said that distinction remains central to his challenge.
"No, we’re not letting them off that easy," he said when asked whether Engelbert’s statement represented a step in the right direction.
"She has to define, and the WNBA has to define, what a man and a woman is and why."
White also called for NBA Commissioner Adam Silver to address the dispute.
White described himself as a longtime fan of women’s basketball, saying he grew up watching older female relatives play sports and learned from local girls’ basketball players.
"I’m a fan of the WNBA. I think the women have come a long way," White said. "I’d love to see it not as politicized as it is, because I think it takes away from the beauty of the game."
White added that he has been watching the WNBA Finals and is considering attending games, although he declined to identify which ones, citing security concerns.
"I have my eyes on a few games for sure, and I’ve been watching," he said, describing himself as "scoping the competition."
Monday night in San Francisco, for the second consecutive game of the WNBA Finals, the Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries stepped off the court before the national anthem and then immediately returned to the court after Canadian-born Alanis Morissette finished her performance.
The spineless league hasn't said a word despite the women continuing to break an anthem rulebook provision that requires them to attend the performance. Now that we've reported, it's time for you guys to react and share your feelings on this drama that isn't going away.
OutKick readers weigh in on how the anthem situation should be handled:
• UNLV Doc has some deep thoughts to share: WNBA types and political sycophants probably think they're rebels, and they are. But they are rebelling against order and creation in favor of chaos, which is always the easy way to mindlessly effect change, and what the selfish have always done. Honorable rebels take a stand, work, and sacrifice, even against self-interest to bravely bring about something other than the chaos that naturally exists without applied effort to create something good. I'm looking forward to seeing such leaders emerge from the WNBA mob; I know they're in there somewhere.
• Richard C. sent in this great take:How about a double disqualification and no champion recognized this year.
• Carmen has hit a breaking point:I love Daily Outkick and I hate the WNBA and everyday it's just funny to read and move on. It's not that funny anymore. The WNBA has failed women. As a female coach, I do my best to build strong, confident, capable, athletes who happen to be females. They are held to a standard that doesn't include entitlement, excuses, or any agenda other than TEAM.
The WNBA is about anything but sport, and that is inexcusable for so many young women pursuing professional sports. Pushing themselves to another level to achieve their goals. It's embarrassing that this is women's professional basketball when so few hold themselves to that level. It's a soap opera that deserves zero attention.
As an organization that is supposed to promote the best in women's sport, it's become laughable. It's a joke that has a played out punchline. You have failed those you are supposed to be a trailblazer for. When athletic performance is secondary to everything else, you have failed as a league.
• Pops makes a good point: The WNBA proves once again they are a political activist organization not a women’s basketball organization. They decide what rules they want to enforce and what rules they will not enforce.
• Kenneth is fed up:Well I have an answer. If the WNBA had any balls (which they don’t) both teams would be banned from playing the game and all players suspended indefinitely. If you can’t attend and stand for the national anthem of the country that has given you everything then you have no business being here.
• Mark S. sends a message to WNBA executives:What a crock. The league is a farce and an embarrassment to our country, not thier country. Fine them all. This is not a political forum it is a game and rules are rules. Enough of the lesbian leaque and who wnba management listen to. Stand up and control your players or get rid of them Set an example.
• Mike Mc. says:The WNBA is a sideshow of awkward misfits playing a child's game poorly. It's no surprise that they do dumb things, but it is surprising that any discerning "fan" pays attention to this collection of grumpy malcontents. On second thought, if you had any discernment, you wouldn't be a fan. Problem solved.
• Joe B. wants the WNBA to take a hike: Remove the entire league from USA arenas. Sell the entire group to Europe, Asia or a South America country. Who needs these disrespectful ingrates playing here?
• Don says enough is enough: Why are we continually putting up with the WNBA? They have proven they are a league that continually cares only about themselves and no one or nothing else.The league fails to react to any of the players who disobey the rules. They have tried to turn this into a racial bias league. I think i am done.
• Gary says punish them for breaking the rules: This is just another example of disrespect for our nation and should not go unpunished by the league. Actions should have consequences.
• Richard S. tells us: Stop giving the anti American league any more print.
• Michael M. emails: I think all the international players should be deported for not respecting the American flag and National Anthem and all the lesbians be disbarred from playing in the WNBA.
• Jerry has a simple message: Real Americans don't watch this trash anyway.
Here's a sampling of other comments posted to our WNBA anthem coverage:
It’s like this league/teams/players go out of their way to make people not like them. I’ve never seen a major sports or entertainment franchise so hell bent as this one to be as unappealing to the public at large as this one. It’s quite amazing.
Disgusting. But as a private organization I guess the players can do what they want…. as can I. I immediately changed the channel. I won’t watch that baloney. We don’t need another France.
Once could be a mix up. Twice in a row is INTENTIONAL! The coaches, the players, and the owners should be fined.
Fine each team $250,000 for this offense. Third offense $350,000 each. Fourth offense each team gets one game forfeited. Get serious WNBA! This is a disgrace.
The WNBA finally has a shot at gaining traction and instead of embracing it, they seem determined to throw it away.
This aligns with the sickness of our culture - lack of gratitude. the fact that a person can kneel during the national anthem is reason to stand for it. That alone, we should be grateful.
It is amazing to watch an organization "Bud-Light" themselves. They already can't support themselves. They have to be subsidized by the NBA. I don't see much of a future for the WNBA.
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert told Republican lawmakers that former NBA players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White are ineligible to play in the league because they are "both men," responding to a congressional inquiry without supplying the definition of "women" that lawmakers had requested.
"With respect to your questions regarding eligibility, only women are eligible to play in the WNBA and the individuals you cite in your letter are both men," Engelbert wrote in the Oct. 16 response. The letter, which is dated Oct. 16, was provided to OutKick by the America First Policy Institute (AFPI), which represents Freedom.
The letter answered a Sept. 17 inquiry from Rep. Marlin Stutzman, R-Ind., and four other House Republicans about eligibility, player safety and confrontations with fans. Freedom and White had announced plans to enter the 2027 WNBA Draft while saying they identify as women.
The lawmakers asked how the league defines "women" under Article XIII, Section 1(a) of its collective bargaining agreement, and why the two former NBA players had been deemed ineligible. That provision of the 2026 agreement states: "Only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA." It does not define the term in that eligibility provision.
Stutzman welcomed Engelbert’s statement as an acknowledgment of a distinction based on biological sex.
"The WNBA has just taken the first step in defining what a woman is for the sports community," Stutzman said in a statement.
"By clearly labeling Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White as men they have acknowledged that identifying as a woman does not change basic human biology."
Engelbert’s letter did not announce a new eligibility rule or spell out a broader policy governing transgender athletes.
Freedom, meanwhile, argued that the response left unanswered the central question of what standards the WNBA applies when deciding who qualifies to compete.
"Cathy Engelbert cannot clearly define what a woman is, but she's absolutely certain that I'm a man," Freedom told OutKick. "I mean, how does that make sense? Who gets to decide? Who has the authority to determine whether someone is a woman?"
"So if the league is still working through these questions, how can its commissioner be so certain about my eligibility without explaining the standards that she's applying?" he added.
Asked whether he believed Engelbert had misgendered him in her letter to Congress, Freedom answered, "Yes, 100%."
"I just want her to respect my identity because I am telling you that I identify as a woman," he said.
Freedom said his effort to join the league is intended to push it to adopt an explicit requirement limiting participation to biological females. He acknowledged that determining someone’s identity and determining eligibility for women’s sports may involve different decisions.
"This is bigger than one basketball player," he said. "I mean, who gets to determine someone's identity? The individual, the commissioner, the medical professional, or a committee or a task force?"
"And who gets to determine eligibility to compete in women's category?" he continued. "So those may be different decisions, but the WNBA needs to explain where it draws the line."
The debate over the league’s eligibility standards intensified this summer after Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham voiced support for excluding transgender girls and women from female sports. Her comments drew both support and criticism, including rallies during the Fever’s road trips. Some players and coaches publicly supported transgender inclusion. Freedom has pointed to Golden State Valkyries player Gabby Williams’ support for transgender athletes as the inspiration for his own effort to enter the WNBA.
In August, a league task force of team presidents and general managers discussed transgender participation along with online abuse directed at players. The task force was an existing anti-hate committee, rather than a group created solely to determine eligibility.
At the time, the league said there were no immediate eligibility matters affecting the WNBA and condemned attempts to use the subject to demean or marginalize others. It said discussions with league stakeholders would continue in the coming weeks and months.
Freedom questioned how the league’s ongoing discussions fit with Engelbert’s definitive statement about him and White.
"So what about the task force?" he said. "If the task force itself has not reached a clear definition, why is the commissioner making such a definitive statement?"
Eligibility was only one part of the lawmakers’ inquiry. Their September letter also challenged the league’s response to physical play, including incidents involving Chicago Sky guard DiJonai Carrington and Cunningham, and sought an explanation of its handling of confrontations between players and spectators.
In her response, Engelbert defended the league’s officiating and disciplinary processes. She said officials enforce the rules during games, while WNBA League Basketball Operations reviews games afterward, including atypical or overly physical plays. The league can then upgrade fouls or impose discipline.
"In all instances the League seeks to apply its rules and relevant disciplinary processes consistently for all players, coaches, and officials," Engelbert wrote.
On fan conduct, the commissioner said spectators must follow the WNBA’s code of conduct and can be ejected for violations. She said the league and its teams seek to enforce that code consistently.
The lawmakers had specifically cited Sky guard Natasha Cloud’s confrontation with Freedom during an Aug. 23 game against the Fever at Wintrust Arena. They questioned why Cloud had not received punishment while Seattle Storm co-owner Celeste Keaton received a five-game suspension following a separate confrontation with fans.
Engelbert’s response did not specifically explain the different outcomes involving Cloud and Keaton.
Freedom was ejected from the Chicago game and subsequently banned from Sky home games at Wintrust Arena. He later filed a lawsuit alleging that his First Amendment rights had been violated. Sky owner Michael Alter disputed that account, saying security removed Freedom because of his conduct, rather than his speech.
Stutzman said he continued to have concerns beyond the eligibility issue. The national anthem has become another point of criticism during the WNBA Finals. Players from the Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries left the court before the anthem during the opening two games and returned after it concluded.
"While this is a step in the right direction, the alarming disrespect the WNBA still has for their fans and our national anthem needs to be corrected," he said.
Engelbert closed her letter by saying the league would continue working to protect players and personnel, including addressing hate and vitriol directed at players online and on social media.
The commissioner is scheduled to retire at the end of 2026, following an announcement in September. Freedom said her successor could resolve his eligibility challenge by making the restriction he wants explicit.
"We are adding the word biological next to the word female, this whole thing will end the next day," Freedom said, describing the announcement he wants the next commissioner to make. "I will walk to the sunset. They will not hear from me ever again."
The eligibility language is part of the agreement negotiated between the WNBA and its players’ union. Engelbert’s letter did not announce any amendment to that agreement.
Freedom said he intends to continue pursuing a place in the league unless its rules change.
"I'm asking for consistency," he said. "I spent 11 years playing in the NBA. I understand, you know, professional basketball really well."
"If they do not change the rules, they better select me in a WNBA draft in 2027," he added.
SAN FRANCISCO – Angel Reese started Game 1 of the WNBA Finals with 11 points in the first quarter, then went the rest of the afternoon without making another field goal. In Game 2, she gave the Atlanta Dream considerably more than a good start.
Reese scored 30 points and grabbed 16 rebounds to lead Atlanta to a 79-65 victory over the Golden State Valkyries on Monday night at Chase Center, evening the best-of-seven series at 1-1. She added 3 assists, 2 blocks and a steal.
She became the youngest player to record at least 30 points and 15 rebounds in a WNBA postseason game.
It took four trips to the Finals for the Dream to finally win a game. Atlanta was swept in 2010, 2011 and 2013, then lost Saturday’s opener to fall to 0-10 in championship series games. Reese helped put an end to that streak with one of the best games of her career.
But before tipoff, there was another national anthem controversy. Both teams again stayed off the court for the anthem, leaving the floor just before the start of the "Star-Spangled Banner" and returning seconds after Alanis Morissette finished her performance.
The WNBA’s rulebook calls for players, coaches and trainers to stand and line up during the anthem. The league has not answered OutKick’s questions about the teams’ absences.
Once the game began, Reese attacked the basket and kept giving Atlanta offense. She scored eight points in the first quarter and seven in the second, giving her 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting in the first half. Those 15 points represented one more than she scored in all of Game 1.
Reese’s strong night still included a brief tantrum early in the third quarter. With the game tied at 40, she stomped her feet after not getting the ball and walked away while Atlanta’s possession continued, taking herself out of position to pursue an offensive rebound. That’s a bad look in a Finals game.
To Reese's credit, she didn't let one bad moment define her night. She followed the outburst with a block on Tiffany Hayes, then later finished through contact against Kiah Stokes and completed the three-point play.
Cameras showed Reese yelling "Give me the f-----g ball!" after the and-1 bucket.
Reese finished with nine third-quarter points, matching Golden State’s entire output.
The Valkyries never made Reese pay for entering the second half with three fouls. She stayed on the floor for the entire third quarter without picking up another one, while Golden State kept firing jump shots and failed to get to the free-throw line.
Both teams made four field goals in the third quarter, including one three-pointer apiece. Atlanta went 12-for-12 at the foul line. Golden State didn’t attempt a free throw. This wasn't a case of a one-way whistle, either; Golden State routinely settled for outside shots rather than attacking the paint.
SAN FRANCISCO – The Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries were off the court for the national anthem before Game 2 of the WNBA Finals on Monday night, repeating their Game 1 absences despite a provision in the league’s own rulebook calling for players to stand and line up during the performance.
Just like in Game 1, the teams left the floor less than one minute before the start of the anthem and returned mere seconds after the singer sang the final note.
The repeat absence followed OutKick’s questions to both teams about why they were off the court Saturday and whether they planned to be present for Monday’s anthem.
The WNBA’s 2026 official rulebook says players, coaches and trainers are to "stand and line up in a dignified posture" along the sidelines or on the foul line during the national anthem.
OutKick asked the league about its anthem requirements, whether any discipline was planned or under consideration over Game 1, and whether it had instructed or planned to instruct either team to be on the court for Game 2.
We also asked the league to confirm whether both teams would be present Monday.
The WNBA has not responded to multiple requests for comment.
Game 1 questions preceded another anthem absence
Before Saturday’s opener, both teams were warming up on the court before leaving just ahead of the anthem. They returned within seconds of the performance ending.
OutKick contacted the league, Dream and Valkyries that afternoon, then followed up with all three Sunday.
The team inquiries also asked whether the WNBA had communicated any instructions or expectations about the anthem since Game 1.
Additionally, OutKick attended all five of Saturday’s pregame and postgame press conferences and raised a hand at each, but was never called on to ask the planned anthem questions.
OutKick also attended both coaches' press conferences prior to Game 2. Again, we were not called upon to ask a question.
The WNBA’s own rulebook calls for players to stand and line up for the anthem. Two games into its Finals, neither team has even been on the floor for it. And the league remains silent about the apparent violation of its own policy.
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