Former NBA center Enes Kanter Freedom launched a direct challenge at the WNBA brass by declaring himself eligible for the 2027 draft.
The move supercharged an already heated debate around trans athletes participating in women’s sports, and also drew a response from former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
Mike Pompeo Makes Feelings Clear on Enes Kanter’s WNBA Stunt
The ongoing discourse began with Indiana Fever’s Sophie Cunningham’s opinion on trans athletes participating in women’s sports, in which she stated her desire to protect young girls in the locker room. Cunningham’s comments triggered demonstrations outside WNBA arenas.
While the WNBA has largely stayed quiet, coaches, players, and other prominent figures outside the sports world have continued to weigh in.
The latest to do so was former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom, who pointed directly at the league’s inclusion framework and shared a declaration on Friday.
“After careful consideration and reviewing the current eligibility guidelines, I’m officially declaring myself a WNBA prospect,” Freedom posted. “If simply declaring who you are is all that’s required, then I meet every single requirement necessary to compete in the WNBA.”
He challenged the league office to honor its stated principles and insisted he was not mocking any community, demanding equal application of the current rulebook.
“I am definitely not here to mock, make fun of, or disrespect any community or personal choices. I’m simply asking that the current rules be applied equally to everyone.”
Not long after, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo amplified Freedom’s post and offered his blunt assessment of the situation. “The absurdity is self-explanatory,” Pompeo wrote. “#ProtectWomensSports”
The absurdity is self-explanatory. #ProtectWomensSports https://t.co/xzloZpksUd
— Mike Pompeo (@mikepompeo) August 7, 2026
Besides Pompeo, former NBA Champion Andrew Bogut, who won the championship with the Golden State Warriors in 2015, expressed support for Freedom’s declaration.
“Good luck [Enes Freedom] in your new journey,” Bogut posted.
The WNBPA addressed the broader debate in a statement released on Friday, saying the union embraces “justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion” and condemning what it called attempts to use the league to advance personal agendas.
Besides Freedom, former NBA first-round pick Royce White told Fox News Digital he was making the same declaration.
With more voices being drawn in, the WNBA is gradually being drawn into a public conversation it has managed to sidestep until now.
