Enes Kanter, having made himself a figure of note within WNBA discourse in 2026, has reiterated his stance while congratulating the Golden State Valkyries on their victory.

The Golden State Valkyries won Game 7 and claimed the championship to officially end the 2026 WNBA season. The league has seen some great basketball action this year, but the biggest headlines have unfortunately come away from the court. Enes Kanter is at least partly responsible for that.

The former NBA player has publicly called out the WNBA to clarify its stance on potential eligibility for trans athletes. He declared himself for the 2027 WNBA Draft, leading to a lot of controversy and some other players also followed suit. Now, at the conclusion of the year’s action, he has issued his statement.

Enes Kanter calls for ‘better leadership’ for the WNBA, claims he will ‘see you ladies’ at the next draft

Having challenged the WNBA’s eligibility rules, Kanter has repeated his intention to declare for the draft. The league has been quite firm about this, Cathy Engelbert confirmed in November that Kanter and others following his example would not be allowed to participate.

In his statement following the conclusion of the Finals, though, the former Boston Celtics man hinted at his intention to not drop the matter just yet.

I’m incredibly proud of all the hardworking, talented women in the WNBA,” Kanter wrote. “Especially this year’s champions, who have dedicated their lives to the game they love. The WNBA deserves all the recognition, respect, and support in the world.

“I just wish the league had better leadership, because the conversation should be about the players’ incredible performances on the court, not controversies off it. My hope is that next year we can finally have some peace and let basketball be the focus again. But if not, I’ll see you ladies at the 2027 WNBA Draft. Rules are rules!”

Kanter’s declaration hasn’t received much traction on social media right after he posted it. The debate around trans athletes has died down a fair bit, and it remains to be seen if his attempts to rekindle it are successful during the offseason.