Former NBA center Enes Kanter Freedom says he is declaring himself eligible for the 2027 WNBA Draft, framing the move as a challenge to the league’s rules governing who can play.
Freedom, 34, made the announcement in a social-media video on August 7th, saying he and his team had reviewed the WNBA’s eligibility framework and believed its standards should be applied consistently.
“After careful consideration and reviewing the current eligibility guidelines, I’m officially declaring myself a WNBA prospect,” Freedom said. He later added that he intends to enter what he described as the April 2027 draft.
The league’s newly negotiated collective bargaining agreement says only women may play in the WNBA but does not contain the self-identification standard Freedom cited, and Commissioner Cathy Engelbert has since said league officials will continue discussing transgender-player eligibility.
Freedom Presented His Announcement as a Challenge to the Rules
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Freedom centered his argument on what he described as the league’s approach to self-identification and inclusion. “If simply declaring who you are is all that’s required, then I meet every single requirement necessary to compete in the WNBA,” he said, according to PEOPLE.
Freedom said his team had “carefully examined” what he called the WNBA’s “eligibility criteria and governing framework surrounding self-identification and inclusion.” He also insisted that his announcement was not intended as an attack on transgender people. “I am definitely not here to mock, make fun of or disrespect any community or personal choices,” he said.
“I’m simply asking that the current rules be applied equally to everyone.” Freedom concluded by saying he expected the WNBA to honor what he described as its stated principles and signed off with, “See you at training camp.” TMZ first reported on the declaration Friday.
The WNBA Agreement Does Not Say Self-Identification Alone Creates Eligibility
Article XIII of the 2026 WNBA collective bargaining agreement begins its player-eligibility section with a direct requirement: “Only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA.” The agreement then sets out additional requirements governing eligibility for the draft, including rules involving age, college status and intercollegiate eligibility.
However, the CBA does not define the word “women” more specifically in that section. It does not spell out criteria involving gender identity, sex assigned at birth or hormone levels.
Freedom’s argument that self-identification is sufficient is therefore his interpretation of the league’s framework, not language contained in Article XIII itself. The WNBA has not publicly ruled that Freedom satisfies its eligibility requirements, added him to a 2027 draft pool or invited him to a training camp.
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert Says the Issue Will Be Discussed
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert sent a memo to teams on August 7th addressing questions about transgender participation in women’s basketball, according to The Associated Press. Engelbert said a task force made up of team presidents and general managers will discuss the subject at a previously scheduled meeting.
She also noted that the WNBA’s player-eligibility rules are collectively bargained with the Women’s National Basketball Players Association rather than determined solely by the league. Engelbert said preserving the “integrity of our game” and ensuring “fair competition” remain among the WNBA’s highest priorities while describing the issue as complex and nuanced. The commissioner said discussions with teams and the players’ association will continue in the weeks and months ahead.
The Players’ Union Said It Will Not Be Used as a ‘Political Pawn’
The Women’s National Basketball Players Association also issued a statement as the debate intensified Friday. The union emphasized the range of views represented by more than 200 players and reaffirmed its commitment to “justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.”
“Hate, abuse, and demonization of any person or group of people, including transgender people, only fuel fear, division, and harm,” the WNBPA said, according to PEOPLE. “We will continue to have hard conversations. But we will not be used as political pawns.”
The statement came amid a wider league debate that had already intensified following Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham’s comments about transgender participation in women’s sports. Former NBA player Royce White also announced plans to pursue the 2027 WNBA Draft shortly after Freedom’s declaration, further increasing pressure on the league to clarify how its eligibility language is applied.
Freedom Has Raised the Same Argument Before
In a since-deleted 2023 social-media post, he argued against transgender women competing in women’s sports and raised the possibility of attempting to enter the WNBA himself. At the time, Freedom asked whether he should “identify as a woman” and attempt to play in the league after claiming that he had been blackballed from the NBA. Freedom has said the move is about consistency rather than ridicule.
Freedom Played 11 Seasons in the NBA
Freedom’s professional basketball credentials are extensive. The NBA lists Freedom as a 6-foot-10 center with 11 years of league experience. The Utah Jazz selected him with the third overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft.
He later played for the Oklahoma City Thunder, New York Knicks, Portland Trail Blazers and Boston Celtics. Freedom last appeared in the NBA during the 2021-22 season. Boston traded him to the Houston Rockets in February 2022, and the Rockets subsequently waived him.