21 May 2015. Istanbul, Turkey. Enes Kanter is a Turkish professional basketball player for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association. (Photo credit: ymphotos / Shutterstock)
Former NBA center Enes Kanter Freedom announced Friday that he is declaring for the 2027 WNBA Draft, a stunt critics dismissed as political theater aimed at inflaming the debate over transgender athletes in women's basketball.
In a video posted to X, Freedom said his circle had "carefully examined the WNBA's eligibility criteria and governing framework surrounding self-identification and inclusion."
"Based on the current guidelines, I can and am officially declaring my eligibility for the upcoming WNBA draft in April 2027," he said.
Freedom was the third overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft and played 11 seasons with the Jazz, Thunder, Knicks, Trail Blazers and Celtics before being waived by Houston in 2022. He became a U.S. citizen in November 2021, legally adding "Freedom" to his name and building a post-basketball profile around right-wing activism.
The stunt comes after Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham drew national attention after telling ESPN she wanted "to protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn't have to go against biological men."
Since then, Fever coach Stephanie White, Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve and Golden State Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase have voiced support for more inclusive policies. Valkyries forward Gabby Williams told reporters she would welcome a transgender athlete on her team or against it.
The WNBA's collective bargaining agreement contains no self-identification standard. The Washington Times reported that Article XIII, Section 1(a) of the 409-page agreement states only that "only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA."
Right-wing reaction was swift.
Conservative activist Riley Gaines called the declaration "genius" and "perfect," while CelticsBlog writer Noa Dalzell called it "embarrassing behavior."
Ex-CNN anchor and broadcaster Piers Morgan piled on, posting on X: "Brilliant… now let's see how keen the @WNBA stars are for men to play in their League."
Conservative activist Robby Starbuck offered a more theatrical take, writing on X: "Introducing your next WNBA MVP: Miss Enes Kanter. She's brave, strong and ready to ball. The @WNBA will of course start a bidding war for the best talent they've ever had… right? They definitely mean it when they say there's no athletic difference and bio men must play… right?"
OutKick founder Clay Travis chimed in, "Amazing. Well done."