Is Enes Kanter Transgender? The Truth Behind His Bombshell 2027 WNBA Draft Declaration and 'Trans' Claims

Former NBA star Enes Kanter Freedom has made his controversial WNBA ambitions official, but his declaration has raised a question that is now spreading across social media: is Enes Kanter transgender?

Freedom submitted paperwork declaring for the 2027 WNBA Draft on Monday, following through on an announcement he made days earlier. His move comes as the WNBA faces growing scrutiny over its rules governing transgender athletes and eligibility for women's basketball.

Enes Kanter Officially Declares for 2027 WNBA Draft

Freedom, 34, posted a video showing himself signing a document asking the WNBA to accept his 'decision to enter the player pool for the 2027 WNBA Draft.'

'Welp, it's officially official,' Freedom said in the video. 'I just declared for the 2027 WNBA Draft. Join me in this journey.'

The former centre was seen wearing a shirt reading 'Invest in women. Pay women. Hire women,' before showing the signed document.

Freedom has not played in the NBA since the 2021-22 season, when he appeared for the Boston Celtics. He spent 11 seasons in the league after being selected third overall by the Utah Jazz in the 2011 NBA Draft.

Is Enes Kanter Transgender? What the Record Shows

Despite the wording surrounding the current controversy, available reporting does not establish that Freedom identifies as transgender.

Instead, his WNBA declaration has been presented as a challenge to the league's eligibility rules amid the debate over transgender athletes in women's sport.

Freedom has previously spoken publicly against the participation of transgender athletes in women's sports, and his latest move has been described as a protest.

That distinction is important because another former NBA player, Royce White, separately announced that he planned to enter the 2027 WNBA Draft while identifying as transgender. White's announcement came shortly after Freedom's initial declaration and intensified the debate around the league's eligibility rules.

French Transgender Player Adds Layer to the Debate

French transgender basketball player Julie Tétart has also found herself at the centre of questions about whether transgender women could eventually play in the WNBA.

Tétart, 34, said in an Instagram exchange that playing in the WNBA had long been a dream and that they would not turn down an offer if one came along. However, there is currently no indication that the league or any of its franchises has approached Tétart.

The speculation follows a standout 2025-26 season in France's Ligue 2, where Tétart reportedly averaged 21 points and 20 rebounds per game. They also set a league record with 30 rebounds in a single game and collected several individual honours.

Tétart's performances have brought renewed attention to the question of transgender athlete eligibility in women's basketball.

Their comments about the WNBA, alongside Enes Kanter Freedom's declaration, have added two very different cases to the same debate: one involving a transgender player hoping for an opportunity in the league and another involving a former NBA player challenging the rules.

Are Transgender Women Allowed in WNBA?

At the centre of the dispute is Article XIII, Section 1(a) of the WNBA's collective bargaining agreement, which states: 'Only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA.'

The provision does not define the terms 'woman' or 'women,' nor does the agreement itself provide detailed language explaining how transgender eligibility should be determined. That lack of specificity has become a major focus of the current controversy.

Freedom's declaration therefore does not mean he has been accepted into the WNBA or that he is eligible to play. The league must still determine whether his application meets its requirements.

For now, the 2027 WNBA Draft controversy centres less on whether Freedom has entered the player pool and more on what the league's women-only eligibility provision means in practice.