by WorldTribune Staff, August 7, 2026 Non-AI Real World News
Former NBA center/power forward Enes Kanter Freedom said he checks all the boxes to play in the WNBA.
Enes Kanter Freedom / X
“If simply declaring who you are is all that’s required, then I meet every requirement necessary to compete in the WNBA,” the 6-10 Freedom stated in a social media post.
“My team and I have carefully reviewed the WNBA’s eligibility criteria and government framework surrounding self identification and inclusion,” Freedom wrote. “Based on the current guidelines, I can and am officially declaring my eligibility for the upcoming WNBA Draft in May 2027.”
OutKick’s Jon Root noted: “Players like Gabby Williams, Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve, Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase, Seattle Storm center Stefanie Dolson, and the majority of WNBA fans have made it clear they are supportive of men in women’s sports.”
Freedom, age 34, concluded his announcement by stating: “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. See you at training camp.”
Freedom’s video logged over three million views in its first few hours on X, and it quickly drew support from Riley Gaines, the former college swimmer who’s become one of the leading voices in the movement to ban men from women’s sports.
“Genius,” Gaines wrote in a comment on the clip. “Perfect. Waiting to see which WNBA team recruits @EnesFreedom.”
Related: Left is losing it over professional female athletes who don’t want men in women’s sports, August 6, 2026
Root added: “The WNBA will now have to put their foot down to protect the fairness, integrity and safety of their league, or allow their progressive politics to ruin it.
“This whole situation will be hilarious to witness. If the league allows Freedom to be eligible, irrationally sticking to their anti-women progressive politics, but no team drafts Freedom in April 2027, it could be seen as discrimination. If they say their sport is for females only, they run into the fury of their liberal foundation, which many of their fans, players, and coaches hold to.”
After careful consideration and reviewing the current eligibility guidelines,
I’m officially declaring myself a @WNBA prospect.If simply declaring who you are is all that’s required, then I meet every single requirement necessary to compete in the WNBA.
My team and I have… pic.twitter.com/msncUZUT1J
— Enes Kanter FREEDOM (@EnesFreedom) August 7, 2026
