Former New York Knicks center Enes Kanter Freedom inserted himself into the national debate over transgender participation in women’s sports Friday by announcing what he described as a declaration for the 2027 WNBA draft.
Freedom, a 6-foot-10 former NBA center, wrote on X that he was “officially declaring myself a WNBA prospect.” He argued that the league’s inclusion principles should make him eligible through self-identification.
The announcement was plainly designed as a political provocation. Freedom did not say he is transgender, and the WNBA has not recognized him as a draft prospect.
His argument also oversimplifies the league’s rules. The WNBA does not state that anyone becomes eligible merely by declaring a gender identity. Its official draft guidelines include age, education and college-eligibility requirements.
Although the league has no publicly stated blanket ban on transgender women, that is not equivalent to unconditional eligibility through self-identification.
WNBA Players Take Different Positions on Debate
Getty A demonstrator protests prior to the start of the WNBA game between the Indiana Fever and Minnesota Lynx at Target Center on August 02, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Sophie Cunningham of the Fever has recently said she opposed transgender athletes participating in women’s sports.
Freedom’s post arrived amid a widening controversy involving Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham.
The discussion intensified after Cunningham told ESPN in July that transgender women should not compete against girls and women. She later defended her position as “common sense” while maintaining that she did not dislike transgender people.
Las Vegas Aces forward Brianna Turner, a former Cunningham teammate, pushed back. Turner wrote that transgender athletes have been targeted through “fearmongering and bigotry” and argued that the WNBA has more pressing problems.
Turner noted that only one openly transgender player had competed in the league and that the player caused no issues. That player was Layshia Clarendon, the WNBA’s first openly transgender and nonbinary player, who retired in 2024 after 12 seasons.
Fever star Caitlin Clark has declined to take a public position. Clark told reporters that eligibility questions should be handled by leagues and governing bodies while she focuses on basketball.
Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve wore a “Trans Kids Belong” shirt before an Aug. 2 game against Indiana. Reeve later said she and Cunningham had a respectful private conversation despite their opposing views.
The controversy expanded further after Cunningham posed with former swimmer and conservative activist Riley Gaines. Megan Rapinoe criticized the photograph, while several Republican politicians publicly supported Cunningham.
Enes Kanter Became Political Figure After Knicks Stint
GettyEnes Kanter of the New York Knicks dribbles down the court during the first quarter of the game against Milwaukee Bucks at Madison Square Garden on December 01, 2018 in New York City.
Freedom played for the Knicks from 2017 until February 2019 after arriving from Oklahoma City in the Carmelo Anthony trade.
He averaged 14.0 points and 10.8 rebounds across 115 games for New York. The Knicks waived him after his role diminished as the organization prioritized younger centers Mitchell Robinson and Luke Kornet.
Freedom played 11 NBA seasons, averaging 11.2 points and 7.8 rebounds in 748 games. He last appeared for Boston in February 2022.
His public identity increasingly shifted from basketball player to political activist. Freedom became an outspoken critic of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, prompting Turkey to revoke his passport and pursue criminal charges against him. He later criticized China’s treatment of Tibetans and Uyghurs and accused the NBA of prioritizing business interests over human rights.
His WNBA announcement follows the same formula: a provocative gesture intended to turn a complicated policy debate into a blunt political test.
It does not place Freedom in the 2027 draft pool. It does place the WNBA back at the center of a dispute that its players are addressing in sharply different ways.
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