Enes Kanter Freedom has hit back at the WNBA after reports emerged that the league has ruled him ineligible for the 2027 draft, accusing the organisation of being "terrified" of facing him on court.
The former NBA center announced weeks ago that he had "declared" for next year's draft, stirring the ongoing debate over transgender athletes in women's sports. Reports on Monday said the league had also decided that fellow former NBA player Royce White, who has likewise declared for the draft, would not be allowed to play.
The reports came less than 24 hours after Kanter Freedom was ejected from a WNBA game following a courtside clash with Chicago Sky star Natasha Cloud.
During the Sky's game against the Indiana Fever, Cloud stormed over to Freedom, who was sitting courtside, sparking a furious argument. In a viral clip of the incident, the pair can be seen shouting at each other before Freedom, a former New York Knicks and Oklahoma City Thunder player, stood up and spread his arms while Cloud was held back by security.
Kanter Freedom, a Turkish-born center who played more than a decade in the NBA, became a U.S. citizen in 2021 and added "Freedom" to his name. He has since built a reputation as an outspoken activist on a range of political and social issues.
Speaking to Fox News on Monday, Kanter Freedom responded to reports of his ineligibility by saying: "Listen, Article 13 Section 1 says if you identify as a woman, then you are allowed to play! I identify as a woman, so yes, I can play."
He added: "They're terrified because I might actually get drafted and play against their big men. I'm probably going to drop 60 points... I'm going to try to beat Wilt Chamberlain's record [of 100 points in a single game]. I might go over 100 points for sure."
What the WNBA's rules say
The WNBA's current collective bargaining agreement states that "only players who are women are eligible to play," but it does not include a specific definition of a woman. According to Front Office Sports, a league representative said the WNBA is "not going to give oxygen to efforts designed to mock the league or use this topic to demean and marginalize others."
Told he will never be allowed to play in the WNBA, Kanter Freedom responded: "Why not? That's the rules. I'm just following the rules. If they ever come out and say: 'Okay, we're changing the rules,' I respect their decision, I will follow the rules. But right now, if you identify as a woman, you're allowed to play. And I am identifying as a woman and I should be allowed to play."
The Wintrust Arena confrontation
During his appearance at Wintrust Arena on Sunday night, Kanter Freedom wore a provocative t-shirt bearing a definition of the word woman. "Woman. Noun," it read. "Adult human female," with the words woman and female highlighted in red.
He received a hostile reception from some supporters and was later kicked out of the game, but on Monday he dismissed suggestions that he is banned from future WNBA games.
Kanter Freedom claimed he would instead attend every Indiana Fever game during the upcoming playoffs. "I have not heard it [about an arena ban]," he said. "If there is any news out there, please don't listen to those sources because it's all fake news. I did not break any kind of rules. I did not step over the baseline. I simply got up and just opened my arms. So they should not be banning me from any games and I am so excited for the playoffs. I cannot wait to go to every playoff game that Indiana Fever plays. It's going to be fun because I'm a fan of the game."
Sophie Cunningham and the Fever protests
Fever games have been hit by protests and counter-protests in recent weeks after Sophie Cunningham sparked a war of words by saying she wants to "protect young girls... who shouldn't have to go against biological men."
Kanter Freedom branded Cunningham a "national treasure" who "should be protected at all costs." "She is an American hero," he told Fox News. "Because she's not only inspiring young girls in America but all over the world. So she is an idol, a hero."
Freedom's account of the clash
The 6ft 10in Kanter Freedom has previously alleged that it was Cloud who initiated their courtside confrontation, claiming she told him Cunningham "won't sleep with you."
He told OutKick: "Sophie Cunningham shot a three, and I put my hands up to celebrate. Literally, a couple [of] possessions later, Natasha came back and started screaming and yelling and said, 'She's not gonna sleep with you.'"
"And I was like, 'I am not trying to sleep with her. I'm just here to protect women and support her.' And then, obviously, after that, she started yapping, and she started to walk towards me, and literally I just got up, and then I was like, 'I'm just here to protect women, and that's all,'" he said.
"She started to yell. She started to use some very heavy language. She started to actually cuss, and I was very shocked that there were a lot of kids and that there were a lot of teenagers at that game," he continued. "I just cannot believe that she was just cussing and using those F-bombs in front of all these kids. I'm sure she's loved in Chicago and many kids are idolizing her and stuff, but that's not how a WNBA athlete should react."
Writing on X after he was removed by security, Kanter Freedom said: "I just got kicked out of a @WNBA game for supporting WOMEN! Let that sink in, AMERICA!" He also wrote: "It's always women hating on other women."
