Enes Kanter turns trans WNBA protest into $1.35 million recruiting pitch

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Enes Kanter Freedom is no longer just challenging the WNBA’s eligibility rules. He is now trying to turn that protest into a recruiting pitch.

The former NBA center claimed Tuesday that he had spoken to eight players about entering the 2027 WNBA Draft if the league does not change or further clarify its eligibility standards.

“Now, listen to me very carefully,” Kanter said in a video posted to X. “The NBA G League pays players $45,000 a year, while the WNBA top players earn $1.4 million.”

Now, listen to me very carefully!

So far, I’ve spoken with:

2 Former NBA players
3 G-League players
3 European players

They have all said that if the @WNBA doesn’t change the rules, they’re ready to join the movement and are considering coming out as women and putting their… pic.twitter.com/UduKj1v46Y

“Those men could earn an extra $1,355,000 a year by just identifying as women,” Kanter said. “Rules are rules.”

“So far, I’ve spoken with: 2 Former NBA players, 3 G-League players, 3 European players,” Kanter said. “They have all said that if the WNBA doesn’t change the rules, they’re ready to join the movement and are considering coming out as women and putting their names in the 2027 WNBA Draft.”

Kanter has not identified any of the eight players, and none has publicly confirmed his account.
The former NBA big man previously announced his own intention to enter the 2027 WNBA Draft, with Royce White later making a similar declaration.

Kanter’s campaign is aimed at forcing the WNBA to spell out its eligibility standards more explicitly. The league has pushed back on the broader effort, describing arguments intended to mock or marginalize others as “bad-faith.”

For now, Kanter is trying to raise the stakes by suggesting there are both willing participants and a financial incentive for them to test the league’s rules.