“I am definitely not here to mock, make fun of, or disrespect any community or personal choices,” said the former NBA player
Credit: John W. McDonough/Sports Illustrated via Getty; M. Anthony Nesmith/Icon Sportswire via Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- Enes Kanter Freedom declared for the 2027 Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) draft, citing “eligibility guidelines” on Aug. 7
- The former NBA player said he is not intending to “mock” anyone with his announcement, which comes amid ongoing debates about trans athletes in the WNBA
- “Since I’m blackballed from the NBA should I put on a wig, identify as a woman and start dominating the WNBA?” he wrote on social media in 2023
Enes Kanter Freedom is declaring himself eligible for the 2027 Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) draft.
On Friday, Aug. 7, the 34-year-old activist and former NBA player announced his desire to play in the WNBA in a video posted on X. His declaration comes amid an ongoing debate about transgender athletes in women’s sports.
“After careful consideration and reviewing the current eligibility guidelines, I’m officially declaring myself a WNBA prospect,” Freedom said, addressing the camera from behind a desk. “If simply declaring who you are is all that’s required, then I meet every single requirement necessary to compete in the WNBA.”
He went on to cite “the WNBA’s eligibility criteria and governing framework surrounding self-identification and inclusion,” which he claims he and his team have “carefully examined.”
Credit: Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP via Getty
“Based on the current guidelines, I can and am officially declaring my eligibility for the upcoming WNBA draft in April 2027,” the former NBA star said.
Freedom, who played 11 seasons in the NBA before his 2022 retirement, went on to say that he is not intending to “mock” anyone with his decision to declare.
“I know my presence on the court will stir up strong opinions,” Freedom said. “I am definitely not here to mock, make fun of or disrespect any community or personal choices. I’m simply asking that the current rules be applied equally to everyone — the rules that represent the very values many WNBA players and coaches have publicly advocated for.”
“My team and I are prepared to ensure these guidelines are applied equally, consistently, and without exception, and I look forward to the WNBA honoring its stated principles,” he concluded. “See you at training camp.”
Freedom’s declaration comes about three years after he claimed he was “blackballed” from the NBA, and made comments condemning transgender athletes in women’s sports.
“Men don’t belong in women’s spaces, restrooms, locker rooms, or sports,” Freedom said in a since-deleted X post in 2023, per Sports Illustrated. “Since I’m blackballed from the NBA should I put on a wig, identify as a woman and start dominating the WNBA? Is that when the outrage will begin? Is that fair to all the women who spent their whole life chasing their goals? Where are all the Women Rights Activists and Feminists?!”
Credit: Logan Riely/NBAE via Getty
The WNBA’s collective bargaining agreement states in Article XIII that “only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA.”
PEOPLE has reached out to the WNBA for comment following Freedom’s declaration.
The Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA), the labor union that represents WNBA players, released a statement on Friday in the wake of his announcement.
“To everyone who loves this game: The WNBPA represents 200+ individual people with different lived experiences, cultures, lifestyles, and opinions. We embrace justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion,” the union said. “Those are the values that unite this Union and allow it to protect women’s sports while creating transformational change.”
“Hate, abuse, and demonization of any person or group of people, including transgender people, only fuel fear, division, and harm. We will continue to have hard conversations. But we will not be used as political pawns,” the statement continued. “Support the Players. Support the Fans. At games, notify security if you witness hateful, violent, or abusive behavior. Online, report abusive posts and drown out the bots and bad actors. At home, tell your elected officials to strengthen Title IX.”
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The statement also appeared to be a response to the ongoing controversy surrounding WNBA player Sophie Cunningham’s comments on trans athletes.
The Indiana Fever player’s initial comments regarding trans athletes came in a July 21 ESPN profile. “I got a lot of negative feedback about me hating trans,” said Cunningham, adding, “And I’m like, ‘I never once said that.’ ”
“I think that I am here to extend love,” she continued. “But I also think with that love is truth, being honest. And I want to protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn’t have to go against biological men.”
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