Why former NBA player says he's declaring for the WNBA

Enes Freedom has entered the chat.

The 11-year NBA veteran said Friday on X that he was "officially declaring" for the 2027 WNBA Draft in a sarcasm-laden post that immediately drew social media condemnation.

Freedom is capitalizing on the recent controversy surrounding statements made by the Indiana Fever's Sophie Cunningham. Though Cunningham has attempted to distance herself from the remarks, she told ESPN that she wanted to use her platform as a WNBA player to "protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn't have to go against biological men."

MORE: Sophie Cunningham points out Caitlin Clark weapon WNBA rivals cannot ignore

Freedom, who has aligned himself with the political far right since his NBA career ended in 2022, has taken advantage on the climate of fear and hatred that Cunningham's comments have created.

"If simply declaring who you are is all that’s required, then I meet every single requirement necessary to compete in the WNBA," he wrote. "My team and I have carefully examined the WNBA’s eligibility criteria and governing framework surrounding self-identification and inclusion. Based on the current guidelines, I can and am officially declaring my eligibility for the upcoming WNBA draft in April 2027."

The post featured a video of Freedom sitting at a desk wearing a bright orange sweater on which the WNBA logo is emblazoned. It garnered 2.1 million views in under two hours.

Obviously, Freedom will not be picked in the 2027 WNBA Draft, and the league's front offices will see right through his comments -- that is, if executives have even bothered to read them.

But in the most hypothetical scenario possible -- that someone takes the chance and risks fan backlash by extending Freedom a tryout -- one X user told him he would be the same player in the WNBA that he was in the NBA.

"You're still gonna be absolute FOOD in the pick and roll,"@yc wrote.

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