Enes Kanter Freedom has stated he would "100%" play for Clay Travis's proposed Nashville Balls WNBA franchise, escalating his challenge to the league's player eligibility rules. Travis has pitched the Nashville Balls as an all-transgender expansion team and indicated he would welcome Kanter Freedom and former NBA player Royce White.
Kanter Freedom and White have announced plans to enter the 2027 WNBA Draft as a way to protest the league's current eligibility language. The WNBA's collective bargaining agreement specifies that only women are eligible to play, but it does not detail transgender eligibility standards. A league source has characterized the former NBA players' draft declarations as publicity stunts.
Kanter Freedom disputed reports that the WNBA had already deemed him ineligible for the draft, stating he had received no official notice and calling such reports "fake news." He suggested that his participation, along with potential teammates like White, would increase ticket sales and viewership, arguing that his intent is to "protect" women's basketball.
The controversy has extended beyond potential roster construction. Kanter Freedom was recently removed from a Chicago Sky-Indiana Fever game after a verbal altercation with player Natasha Cloud while sitting courtside. The Sky subsequently banned him from Wintrust Arena, with owner Michael Alter citing Kanter Freedom's apparent intent to be provocative.