Enes Kanter Freedom, the 6-foot-10 former NBA center who has floated an attention-grabbing bid to enter the WNBA, has settled on his next public step in the increasingly divisive saga.
With debate over transgender athlete policies continuing to roil the league, the ex-Knicks and Celtics player said he plans to attend Sunday’s matchup between the Indiana Fever and the Chicago Sky.
The nationally televised game would be Kanter Freedom’s first courtside appearance since he announced his controversial intention to challenge the WNBA’s rules on trans athletes and declare for the 2027 WNBA Draft.
TMZ first reported that Kanter Freedom intends to travel to Chicago’s Wintrust Arena on Sunday night, claiming he has put “major security measures” in place amid concerns about potential pro-trans protesters at the venue.
It remains unclear whether either the Sky or the Fever has been informed of his planned appearance, or whether he will be permitted to enter the arena. The Daily Mail has contacted both franchises seeking comment.
Kanter Freedom also appeared Saturday night on Lara Trump’s Fox News program, where he reiterated his desire to play in the WNBA and argued that he would become the “best draft pick” the league has ever seen.
Enes Kanter Freedom appeared on Fox News to outline his plan to pursue a place in the WNBA
Freedom’s planned appearance comes as the WNBA remains at the center of a heated culture-war debate
‘I played basketball in the NBA for 11 years. I averaged a double-double and it was an amazing time, I had so much fun with my teammates. I love the game and I’m ready to play, I’m prepared to play.
‘I know I’m 34 years old, but I think I will be the best draft pick in WNBA history, literally.’
When asked about the league’s ongoing discussions about its transgender policy, he added: ‘There’s other major sports leagues that closed that loophole, added “biological female” or “born female” in their collective bargaining [agreement].
‘I looked at the WNBA and they didn’t have any kind of reference that said biological or anything like that.
‘I was watching this game and I believe the coach of Minnesota [Cheryl Reeve] came out with a “trans kids belong” [shirt]. So I was like, if there’s no rule against this, if all the coaches are okay with it, think about how much money I can bring, all the endorsement deals.’
The WNBA’s culture war has been raging on for weeks, and Saturday night saw yet more protests ahead of the Fever’s game against the New York Liberty in Brooklyn.
Fever guard Sophie Cunningham first lit the touchpaper on the issue when she spoke about ‘protecting young girls’ in women’s sports in a profile for ESPN, embroiling the league in a fierce debate over transgender athletes.
The ex-Knicks and Celtics star says Cheryl Reeve’s t-shirt helped him make his decision
In a clip on X last month, Enes Freedom announced his decision to declare for the WNBA Draft
Her comments sparked backlash around the WNBA, while some of her supporters raised concerns over their treatment at recent games.
Following Cunningham’s comments, two former NBA players, Kanter Freedom and Royce White, have seized upon the issue as a chance to make a political point. Both have announced plans to enter the 2027 WNBA Draft, challenging the league’s transgender eligibility policy.
The WNBA’s collective bargaining agreement states only women are eligible to play. But with no explicit definition of the term or detail on a transgender participation policy, Kanter and White have decided to try and test those rules, with the campaign rejected by the league as a ‘bad-faith’ effort.
WNBA general managers and presidents met earlier this month as part of an anti-hate task force to discuss the subject of athlete eligibility amid the transgender debate.
The powers-that-be determined that there were no issues with its eligibility criteria, suggesting no changes were needed, announcing there were ‘no immediate eligibility matters affecting’ the WNBA at this time.
Kanter shared a letter he claimed to have sent to WNBA commissioner Engelbert. The letter read: ‘Please accept this formal document as my official written notification to the Women’s National Basketball Association of my voluntary decision to enter the player pool for the 2027 WNBA Draft.
‘Consistent with the current league collective bargaining agreement, I am submitting this notice to exercise my draft rights and to affirm that I am at least twenty-two years old and that I have no remaining intercollegiate eligibility, as required by Article XIII, Section 1(b).
‘I request that the WNBA League Office verify receipt of this document and direct any future communications to my personal email address listed above. Thank you for your official processing of my registration into the 2027 draft pool. Respectfully submitted this 6 day of August 2026.’
Sophie Cunningham’s initial comments left fans, players and coaches in the WNBA divided
Kanter Freedom posted this workout video showing off the progress he is making to get fit
In an accompanying video, Freedom said: ‘It’s officially official. I just declared for the 2027 WNBA Draft in April. Join me in this journey.’
Liberty superstar Breanna Stewart spoke out on the debate which has dominated headlines surrounding the WNBA in recent weeks, attempting to quell the anger.
‘Knowing that rallies are happening on both sides shows the platform that the W has and the stunts for attention are just continuing to try and ride the wave that we have,’ the two-time MVP told a small group of reporters Saturday morning.
‘I want Liberty fans and even Indy fans that are going to come here tonight to be able to have this arena be a safe space.’
