According to former Boston Celtics star Enes Kanter Freedom, besides Royce White and himself, more male players may declare their eligibility for the 2027 WNBA Draft. The method, as Freedom and White have demonstrated, would involve identifying as women and exploiting what they see as a loophole in the WNBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, which does not explicitly define the parameters of biological sex or gender identity.
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Enes Kanter Freedom made this revelation in a post shared on his X page on Tuesday. In fact, he framed the situation as a financial opportunity for NBA G League players, who, according to him, could dramatically increase their income simply by identifying as women and competing in the WNBA.
“Now, listen to me very carefully. So far, I’ve spoken with: 2 Former NBA players, 3 G-League players, 3 European players. They have all said that if the WNBA doesn’t change the rules, they’re ready to join the movement and are considering coming out as women and putting their names in the 2027 WNBA Draft,” Freedom said in the video.
“Hear me out, the NBA G League pays players $45,000 a year, while the WNBA’s top players earn $1.4 million. Those ‘men’ could earn an extra $1,355,000 a year by just identifying as women. Rules are rules.”
Enes Kanter Freedom first publicly declared his intent to enter the WNBA Draft on August 7 via a video statement on his X page. He followed that up by formally signing and submitting official written notification paperwork to the WNBA league office days later. His decision to take this step, however, was not arbitrary or simply out of the blue.
The origins of this entire chain of events trace back to the league-wide debate ignited by Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham. In an ESPN profile published on July 21, Cunningham expressed her opposition to transgender women competing in women’s sports, saying, “I want to protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn’t have to go against biological men.”
Her comments divided the league in two, resulting in three rallies in support of Cunningham, which also attracted counter-protests, and booing at road games. Menwhile, voices within the WNBA, like Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve, expressed their support for inclusivity.
Yet, watching the league’s front office stay silent on the debate around eligibility, Enes Kanter Freedom explicitly used the loophole to make the announcement. It was only after the declaration from Freedom and Royce that the WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert-led Anti-Hate Task Force addressed the issue and categorized the ex-NBA players’ arguments as “bad-faith.”
While the task force has not yet implemented a permanent, rewritten policy change, the league has made its position on the declarations abundantly clear. The WNBA has also stressed that there are currently no transgender eligibility issues in the league, while maintaining that the matter will continue to be discussed with the players’ association.
It remains to be seen how long this issue will go on.