Former Boston Celtics center Enes Kanter Freedom has inserted himself into the national debate over transgender participation in women’s sports, claiming in a social media post that he intends to enter the 2027 WNBA draft.
Freedom announced on X that he was “officially declaring myself a WNBA prospect.” The 6-foot-10 former NBA center argued that the league’s approach to gender identity should make him eligible.
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
The declaration appears designed to make a political point, not begin a legitimate comeback. Freedom did not identify himself as transgender, and the WNBA has not recognized him as a draft prospect.
The league’s published draft requirements also involve more than gender identity. Domestic players generally must turn 22 during the draft year and have exhausted or renounced their remaining college eligibility. International prospects must satisfy separate age and playing-status requirements.
Freedom, 34, last played professionally in February 2022.
Freedom Enters Heated WNBA Debate
Getty A demonstrator protests prior to the start of the WNBA game between the Indiana Fever and Minnesota Lynx at Target Center on August 02, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Sophie Cunningham of the Fever has recently said she opposed transgender athletes participating in women’s sports.
Freedom’s post arrived while WNBA players and coaches have been publicly debating transgender inclusion.
Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham has said transgender women should not compete in women’s sports, framing her position as an effort to protect female athletes. Las Vegas Aces forward Brianna Turner pushed back, arguing that discussion of transgender athletes has been driven by “fearmongering and bigotry.”
Turner noted that only one openly transgender player, Layshia Clarendon, had played in the league and caused no competitive controversy. Clarendon, who identifies as transgender and nonbinary, retired in 2024 after 12 WNBA seasons.
Caitlin Clark has declined to take a side, saying eligibility policies should be determined by leagues and governing bodies. Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve, meanwhile, wore a “Trans Kids Belong” shirt before an August game against Indiana.
That dispute provided the backdrop for Freedom’s announcement. His post, however, blurred the difference between a league supporting LGBTQ+ inclusion and allowing any person to enter its draft through self-identification alone.
Enes Freedom Had Two Stints With Celtics
Getty Enes Kanter of the Boston Celtics reacts during the second quarter against the Miami Heat in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Finals during the 2020 NBA Playoffs at AdventHealth Arena at the ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on September 19, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.
Freedom’s connection to Boston stretches across two stints with the Celtics.
He first signed in 2019 and averaged 8.1 points and 7.4 rebounds across 58 games during the 2019-20 season. His offensive rebounding and low-post scoring helped Boston reach the Eastern Conference finals, although his defensive limitations restricted his role in certain playoff matchups.
Boston traded him to Portland in November 2020 before bringing him back on a one-year contract in August 2021.
His second Celtics stint became defined as much by politics as basketball. During Boston’s 2021 season opener, he wore sneakers carrying a “Free Tibet” message and criticized Chinese President Xi Jinping. Celtics games were subsequently removed from the Chinese streaming service Tencent.
Getty The shoes of Enes Kanter of the Boston Celtics before the Celtics home opener against the Toronto Raptors at TD Garden on October 22, 2021 in Boston, Massachusetts.
Kanter legally added “Freedom” to his name after becoming a U.S. citizen in November 2021. He appeared in 35 games that season, averaging 3.7 points and 4.6 rebounds before Boston traded him to Houston in the Daniel Theis deal. The Rockets waived him shortly afterward.
Freedom never played another NBA game. His latest declaration is unlikely to change that professional reality, but it has placed the former Celtic back in the middle of another politically charged sports debate.
Ex-Celtics Center Declares for WNBA Amid Transgender Athletes Controversy