Former NBA center Enes Kanter Freedom has declared for the 2027 WNBA Draft, challenging the league to address its eligibility rules amid an intensifying national debate over transgender athletes in women’s sports.
“Officially official, @WNBA. I have officially declared for the 2027 #WNBA Draft. Rules are rules! #LetFreedomPlay,” Freedom wrote in a post on X Monday.
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Freedom announced his decision last week after saying his team reviewed the WNBA’S eligibility guidelines and concluded that he could declare himself a prospect under the league’s current framework.
“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,” he wrote on X Friday.
“My team and I have carefully examined the WNBA’s eligibility criteria and governing framework surrounding self-identification and inclusion. Based on the current guidelines, I can and am officially declaring my eligibility for the upcoming WNBA draft in April 2027,” Freedom said.
The WNBA‘s current rules state that domestic draft entrants must be at least 22 years old in the year of the draft and meet college-eligibility requirements, while international entrants must be at least 20.
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Freedom’s declaration now puts the WNBA in a position of determining whether his interpretation of its eligibility rules holds up.
The Washington Examiner reached out to Enes Kanter Freedom and the WNBA for comment.
