Enes Kanter Freedom has declared he wants to replace Cathy Engelbert as WNBA Commissioner, launching his bid with a slogan borrowed from Donald Trump within hours of Engelbert announcing she will retire at the end of the calendar year.
Kanter Freedom, a former NBA center who has clashed with the WNBA this year over its transgender athlete policies after attempting to declare for the 2027 WNBA Draft, wasted no time reacting to news of Engelbert's departure.
He said he wants to "Make WNBA Female Again," adapting Trump's "Make America Great Again" slogan, and declared that "Commissioner Freedom has a nice ring to it."
In a video posted on social media while wearing a baseball jersey with "WNBA" written across the front, Kanter Freedom said: "While the reported retirement of WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert is a win for women and an admission that the league's rules must change, her retirement does not solve the systemic issues which must be addressed in order to protect women's sports."
"If the WNBA is unable to define what a woman is, then I, Enes Kanter Freedom, would be more than happy to step in as commissioner and lead this league back to greatness and restore fairness for all women. I'll bring common sense. I'll bring fairness. And yes, I'll bring a dictionary," he added.
Engelbert's retirement
Engelbert announced on Friday that she will retire from her role having faced enormous pressure this season over a range of issues. She has served as the WNBA's commissioner, the first in the league's history, since 2019.
"Over the years, it has been amazing to watch WNBA players thrive and lead the massive cultural surge around women's sports," Engelbert, 61, said in a statement.
"I retire knowing we have built something bigger, stronger and more enduring than we could have imagined. I am grateful to the WNBA and NBA team owners and staff, players, investors, fans and the powerhouse league office staff, who believed in what this league could become. I retire with immense gratitude and tremendous optimism for the future of the WNBA, with the best yet to come."
Kanter Freedom's fight over eligibility
Kanter Freedom, a former New York Knicks and Oklahoma City Thunder center who played 11 seasons in the NBA, has placed himself at the center of the transgender athlete debate by suggesting he wanted to play in the WNBA. He legally added "Freedom" to his name in 2021 as part of his human rights activism and has since become an outspoken conservative commentator.
The league has reportedly rejected his application for the WNBA Draft, insisting he is not eligible and denouncing what it called "bad-faith" efforts. Kanter Freedom has insisted he will drop the issue if the WNBA changes its transgender eligibility rules.
"If they come out tomorrow and say only biological females are eligible to play, I'd drop everything," Kanter Freedom said, according to the New York Post. "Until then, I am eligible to play."
Offer of a peace summit
Earlier in the week, Kanter Freedom extended an olive branch, asking Engelbert for peace talks moderated by Caitlyn Jenner, the former Olympic decathlon gold medalist and reality television personality.
Writing on X, he said: "WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert and the @WNBA task force, I am now speaking directly to you. I'm going to keep this short and sweet, so open your ears and listen carefully. I would like to offer you a peace summit, moderated by my friend @Caitlyn_Jenner. I've already spoken with her, and she's in."
"I'm not a troublemaker. I'm more of a peacemaker," he continued. "Listen, the whole world is laughing at you. You have turned the WNBA into a laughingstock. It's time to stop hiding behind closed-door meetings, excuses, and delays and finally give the public a clear answer."
"Let's have the peace summit. No shouting. No hiding. No carefully scripted statements. Let's sit across the table from each other, have an open and respectful conversation, and address the questions millions of people are asking," Kanter Freedom wrote.
"Let's put everything on the table and let the public hear both sides. If you truly believe in your position, you should have no problem defending it publicly. So, Commissioner Engelbert and the WNBA task force, the invitation is officially on the table. Name the time. Name the place. Let's talk. Are you in?"
