Enes Kanter Freedom set to attend Fever-Sky game as WNBA trans controversy rages

Enes Kanter Freedom is turning up the heat on the WNBA.

The former NBA player, who declared himself for 2027 WNBA Draft, will be among the crowd for the Fever-Sky game on Sunday in Chicago, per TMZ.

The outlet reported he is taking “major security measures” to ensure his safety at Wintrust Arena.

Freedom recently added to the growing transgender athlete fire that has clouded the WNBA over the last month since Sophie Cunningham stated she wanted to “protect young girls” against “biological men” in an ESPN feature.

In an effort to test the league’s policies, Freedom posted a video of him signing his name to a document that asks the WNBA to accept his “decision to enter the player pool for the 2027 WNBA Draft.”

“Welp, it’s officially official,” he said in the video. “I just declared for the 2027 WNBA Draft. Join me in this journey.”

The 34-year-old later posted a workout video with a caption: “Let ‘The Transition’ to the @WNBA begin. Rules Are Rules! #LetFreedomPlay.”

Freedom will be watching Cunningham and Caitlin Clark in person on Sunday — the latter of which he has spoken about teaming up with as a “modern Kobe and Shaq.”

At 6-foot-10, Freedom had an 11-year career in the NBA but he hasn’t played since 2022.

Soon after his declaration, former NBA player and current Republican candidate for US Senate Royce White also declared for the WNBA draft as a transgender player.

Freedom has also recently taken his efforts a step further, turning his test of the WNBA into a recruiting effort.

He claimed last week that he had spoken to eight players about entering the 2027 draft if the WNBA does not change or further clarify its eligibility standards.

“The NBA G League pays players $45,000 a year, while the WNBA top players earn $1.4 million,” he said in a video. “Those men could earn an extra $1,355,000 a year by just identifying as women. Rules are rules.”

Since Freedom and White have been outspoken about joining the league, they have received a lot of backlash from fans around the W.

The league has since addressed the topic after it has flooded the product of the league for weeks.

The WNBA had an anti-hate task force meeting this month and found “no immediate eligibility matters affecting” the league.

“We strongly denounce the bad-faith efforts to use these topics to demean or marginalize others,” a spokesperson for the league said.