​Enes Kanter Freedom; stock image of WNBA logoCredit: John W. McDonough/Sports Illustrated via Getty; M. Anthony Nesmith/Icon Sportswire via GettyNEED TO KNOWEnes Kanter Freedom declared for the 2027 Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) draft, citing “eligibility guidelines” on Aug. 7The former NBA player said he is not intending to “mock” anyone with his announcement, which comes amid ongoing debates about trans athletes in the WNBA“Since I’m blackballed from the NBA should I put on a wig, identify as a woman and start dominating the WNBA?” he wrote on social media in 2023Enes Kanter Freedom is declaring himself eligible for the 2027 Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) draft.On Friday, Aug. 7, the 34-year-old activist and former NBA player announced his desire to play in the WNBA in a video posted on X. His declaration comes amid an ongoing debate about transgender athletes in women’s sports.“After careful consideration and reviewing the current eligibility guidelines, I’m officially declaring myself a WNBA prospect,” Freedom said, addressing the camera from behind a desk. “If simply declaring who you are is all that’s required, then I meet every single requirement necessary to compete in the WNBA.”He went on to cite “the WNBA’s eligibility criteria and governing framework surrounding self-identification and inclusion,” which he claims he and his team have “carefully examined.”Enes Kanter Freedom in 2022Credit: Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP via Getty“Based on the current guidelines, I can and am officially declaring my eligibility for the upcoming WNBA draft in April 2027,” the former NBA star said.Freedom, who played 11 seasons in the NBA before his 2022 retirement, went on to say that he is not intending to “mock” anyone with his decision to declare.“I know my presence on the court will stir up strong opinions,” Freedom said. “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 — the rules that represent the very values many WNBA players and coaches have publicly advocated for.”“My team and I are prepared to ensure these guidelines are applied equally, consistently, and without exception, and I look forward to the WNBA honoring its stated principles,” he concluded. “See you at training camp.”Freedom’s declaration comes about three years after he claimed he was “blackballed” from the NBA, and made comments condemning transgender athletes in women’s sports.“Men don’t belong in women’s spaces, restrooms, locker rooms, or sports,” Freedom said in a since-deleted X post in 2023, per Sports Illustrated. “Since I’m blackballed from the NBA should I put on a wig, identify as a woman and start dominating the WNBA? Is that when the outrage will begin? Is that fair to all the women who spent their whole life chasing their goals? Where are a