The controversy surrounding Enes Kanter Freedom and transgender athletes in women’s basketball took another turn Friday after he offered to replace outgoing WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert.
Engelbert announced that she will step down after the season, prompting Kanter to make his pitch for the job on social media.
The former NBA player has been challenging the WNBA over its transgender-athlete policy since declaring himself eligible for the 2027 draft. The league later ruled him ineligible and dismissed his campaign as a “publicity stunt,” but did not publicly explain its decision.
“MAKE @WNBA FEMALE AGAIN,” the former NBA player wrote on X.
“Commissioner Freedom Has a Nice Ring to It,” Kanter added.
Kanter, who has emerged as a vocal opponent of allowing transgender athletes to compete in women’s sports, called Engelbert’s departure a victory for female players. He argued, however, that a change in leadership would not resolve the league’s larger problems.
“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 to protect women’s sports,” he said.
“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,” Kanter continued. “I’ll bring common sense. I’ll bring fairness. And yes, I’ll bring a dictionary.”
X users were divided over Kanter’s announcement, with one accusing him of using the issue to regain attention while another credited Caitlin Clark—not Engelbert—with driving the WNBA’s recent success.
His announcement came one day after he filed a federal lawsuit over his removal from a WNBA game last month.
Kanter sued the Chicago Sky, the city of Chicago, and the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, claiming he was unfairly ejected from the Sky’s Aug. 23 game against the Indiana Fever at Wintrust Arena.
His removal followed a heated exchange with Sky guard Natasha Cloud. Kanter said the confrontation began after he celebrated a three-pointer by Fever player Sophie Cunningham.