Enes Kanter Freedom Leaves Arena Without Watching From Purchased Seats
Enes Kanter Freedom left Game 3 after police directed him off arena property, despite declining private suite offers.
Event / Sports
The 2026 WNBA Finals between the Atlanta Dream and the Golden State Valkyries. In Game 3, played October 21, 2026, in Atlanta, the Dream won 97-71 to take a 2-1 series lead. Angel Reese led Atlanta with 21 points and 12 rebounds, and Gabby Williams led Golden State in scoring, with sources differing on her total of 14 or 15 points.
2026-10-23 to 2026-10-26 · UTC publication dates
Coverage begins 23 Oct, 02:52 UTC
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State Farm Arena directed Enes Kanter Freedom to watch Game 3 of the WNBA Finals from a private luxury suite, citing his personal safety concerns. The arena said the suite would have additional security and would be his designated viewing location.
Enes Kanter Freedom left State Farm Arena during Game 3 of the WNBA Finals and did not take his purchased seats. The game continued without him.
Game 3 of the WNBA Finals between the Atlanta Dream and the Golden State Valkyries took place at State Farm Arena in Atlanta on Wednesday night.
Enes Kanter Freedom contacted federal, state, and local authorities, the WNBA, the Atlanta Dream, and State Farm Arena officials to express concerns about his personal safety before attending Game 3 of the WNBA Finals.
Enes Kanter Freedom declined a private suite that the Atlanta Dream provided to him as a safety measure for Game 3 of the WNBA Finals.
An Atlanta police officer told Enes Kanter Freedom that he had to leave State Farm Arena property and could go to the city streets, after he tried to enter the arena without agreeing to sit in a private suite for Game 3 of the WNBA Finals.
On Monday, Enes Kanter Freedom posted a video on X announcing his intention to attend Game 3 of the WNBA Finals in Atlanta.
State police assigned an officer to Enes Kanter Freedom at his request for Game 3 of the WNBA Finals at State Farm Arena.
Before Game 3 of the WNBA Finals, Enes Kanter Freedom posted a video on X in which he said he had been banned from the seats he purchased, and he wrote that the WNBA would have to escort him out of the building.
During halftime of Game 3 of the WNBA Finals, Enes Kanter Freedom arrived at State Farm Arena wearing a black shirt with the words 'What Is A Woman?' and was met by an Atlanta Dream team official.
Tiffany Hayes and Janelle Salaun combined for 27 points and five rebounds off the bench for the Golden State Valkyries in Game 3 of the WNBA Finals.
During the 2026 regular season, Angel Reese established WNBA single-season records with 32 double-doubles and 521 rebounds.
In Game 2 of the WNBA Finals, Angel Reese recorded 30 points and 16 rebounds, becoming the youngest player in WNBA history to finish a Finals game with at least 30 points and 15 rebounds. She joined Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones as the only players to reach those totals in a WNBA Finals game.
Rhyne Howard scored 16 points, with four rebounds and four assists, for the Atlanta Dream in their 97-71 win over the Golden State Valkyries in Game 3 of the WNBA Finals.
After the Golden State Valkyries briefly tied Game 3 in the third quarter, the Atlanta Dream went on a run and entered the fourth quarter leading 71-57.
Angel Reese reached 1,000 career rebounds in 79 games, the fewest games needed to reach that milestone in WNBA history.
The Atlanta Dream defeated the Golden State Valkyries 97-71 at State Farm Arena in Game 3 of the WNBA Finals, giving Atlanta a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.
Gabby Williams led the Golden State Valkyries in scoring in Game 3 of the WNBA Finals with 14 to 15 points, shooting 5-of-18 from the field, and recorded eight assists in the 97-71 loss.
In Game 3 of the WNBA Finals, the Atlanta Dream outscored the Golden State Valkyries 51-31 in the second half after leading 8-1 early in the game.
Angel Reese scored a game-high 21 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in the Atlanta Dream's 97-71 win over the Golden State Valkyries, shooting 7-of-12 from the field and 5-of-5 from the free-throw line, with three assists and three steals. It was her third consecutive double-double in the WNBA Finals.
Enes Kanter Freedom left Game 3 after police directed him off arena property, despite declining private suite offers.
Atlanta beat Golden State 97-71 in Game 3, with Angel Reese posting 21 points and 12 rebounds.