Yes, you read that right: Former NBA center Enes Kanter Freedom has formally declared his eligibility for the 2027 WNBA Draft, framing the move as a challenge to the league’s gender eligibility standards amid ongoing debate over transgender athletes in women’s sports.The 6-foot-10, 250-pound Freedom, who played 11 seasons in the NBA after being selected third overall by the Utah Jazz in the 2011 draft, announced the decision in a video posted to X on August 7, 2026. Wearing a WNBA-branded sweatshirt, he stated that he and his team had reviewed the league’s eligibility guidelines and governing framework around self-identification and inclusion.
Freedom followed up by posting that the declaration was “officially official,” sharing what appeared to be formal paperwork and using the hashtag #LetFreedomPlay. He also submitted a letter to the WNBA requesting entry into the 2027 player pool, citing that he is over age 22 with no remaining intercollegiate eligibility under the league’s draft rules.
What The WNBA Rules Actually Say
The WNBA’s collective bargaining agreement is clear on one point. Article 13, Section 1 states that “only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA.” The document does not define “woman” or include explicit language on self-identification or transgender eligibility. The league has no publicly detailed policy specifically addressing transgender athletes beyond the CBA language.
Freedom, who retired from the NBA after being waived by the Houston Rockets in 2022 and has not played professionally since, has previously commented on the issue. In 2023, he suggested he could identify as a woman and dominate the league, arguing the point as a critique of male-bodied athletes competing in women’s categories.
The announcement comes amid heightened discussion in the WNBA following comments by Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham. In a July ESPN profile, Cunningham said she wanted to “protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn’t have to go against biological men.” She later described the position as “common sense” and reiterated support for protecting biological women in sports while denying any hatred toward transgender people. Her remarks drew both support and criticism, including protests at games and statements from the WNBA players’ union emphasizing inclusion and opposing hate directed at transgender individuals.
Freedom’s move has generated significant attention and polarized reactions online, with supporters viewing it as a pointed consistency test of inclusion policies and critics dismissing it as a publicity stunt or troll. Whether it prompts any formal clarification from the WNBA on eligibility standards remains to be seen.
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