Enes Kanter Freedom, the former NBA player known for his outspoken political commentary, announced Friday that he wants to become the next commissioner of the WNBA, following reports that current commissioner Cathy Engelbert is retiring.
Freedom framed his campaign around a slogan he called “Make WNBA Female Again,” arguing the league’s rules should more clearly define who is eligible to compete in women’s sports.
“If the WNBA is unable to define what a woman is, then I — Enes Kanter Freedom — will be more than happy to step in as commissioner and lead this league back to greatness and restore fairness for all women,” he said. “I will bring common sense. I will bring fairness. And yes, I will bring a dictionary.”
Freedom has previously used social media and interviews to argue that the WNBA’s eligibility language is too vague. In one post, he declared himself a WNBA “prospect,” writing that simply identifying as a woman would meet the league’s stated requirements as he understood them.
He made a similar point in an interview with Fox News host Laura Ingraham, saying, “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.”
The WNBA has not commented publicly on Freedom’s candidacy or on his characterization of its eligibility rules. Engelbert’s departure, first reported in recent days, has not yet been accompanied by an announced timeline for naming a successor or a formal search process.
Freedom is a vocal conservative commentator who has built a public profile in recent years around commentary on human rights, sports, and gender-eligibility debates in women’s athletics. His announcement has circulated widely online, though it remains unclear whether he intends the bid as a serious application for the role or as a pointed commentary on the league’s policies.
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