Former NBA center Enes Kanter is doubling down on his WNBA draft campaign, claiming the league’s own rulebook technically permits him to play as a trans athlete.
After front-office officials reportedly told media outlets he would be ineligible in the WNBA, Kanter countered on Fox News, insisting official league guidelines still leave the door wide open.
Enes Kanter Challenges WNBA Rulebook After Front Office Reportedly Rules Out Draft Eligibility
Kanter is refusing to let his WNBA draft campaign quiet down. Right after being escorted out of Wintrust Arena following a courtside clash during Sunday’s game between the Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever, new reports surfaced via Front Office Sports stating that league officials consider Kanter ineligible, brushing off his 2027 Draft declaration as a publicity stunt.
However, instead of backing away, Kanter is using the league’s own rules to turn the pressure right back on the front office.
Taking his message to Fox News on “The Ingraham Angle” with Laura Ingraham, Kanter exposed what he considers a massive oversight in the league’s official rulebook.
He mentioned Article XIII, Section 1(a) of the WNBA’s collective bargaining agreement, which plainly states: “Only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA.”
The core issue driving this whole debate is what the CBA fails to mention. The rulebook never actually defines what a “woman” is, containing zero language specifying “biological women” or gender assigned at birth.
Kanter argued that, as league standards remain so loose and open-ended, he technically meets every single written requirement.
“I am a woman. I should be allowed to play… 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.”
Taking a direct swipe at WNBA officials trying to shut him down through media leaks, Kanter added:
“They’re terrified because I might actually get drafted next year.”
Enes Kanter Freedom addresses reports that the WNBA has deemed him and Royce White inelgibile to play in thr league.
“I am a woman, I should be allowed to play.” pic.twitter.com/FGvGSgkFkn
— Jackson Thompson (@JackThompsonFOX) August 24, 2026
Kanter emphasized that he is fully prepared to respect the WNBA’s final decision if league leaders actually define what a woman is and officially inform him that he isn’t eligible under that definition. However, because there is currently nothing in writing stating that only biological women can compete, the front office finds itself in a tough corner.
In the end, the Fever-Sky matchup will be remembered less for what happened on the scoreboard and more for the circus Kanter brought to Wintrust Arena.
By turning a high-stakes game into a stage for his WNBA Draft campaign, he successfully rattled the Sky, triggered a heated confrontation with Natasha Cloud, all while Indiana walked away with a dominant victory,
