Former NBA center Enes Kanter Freedom is continuing his provocative campaign to enter the WNBA, and now he has identified both the player he wants to dunk on first and the superstar he would like alongside him.
Freedom, a 6-foot-10 former NBA player, declared Monday that Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese would be his first target if he were selected in the 2027 WNBA Draft.
“Sis! Once I go No. 1 pick in the 2027 @WNBA Draft, the first player I’m dunking on is Angel Reese,” Freedom wrote on X. “She’s the Paul George of the #WNBA. Just lean into the podcast already.”
Freedom’s campaign is intended as a challenge to the WNBA over its approach to transgender eligibility, rather than a conventional attempt to resume his professional basketball career.
After careful consideration and reviewing the current eligibility guidelines,
I’m officially declaring myself a @WNBA prospect.If simply declaring who you are is all that’s required, then I meet every single requirement necessary to compete in the WNBA.
My team and I have… pic.twitter.com/msncUZUT1J
— Enes Kanter FREEDOM (@EnesFreedom) August 7, 2026
He is one of several male former basketball players who have recently discussed attempting to enter the league, including former NBA player Royce White. Their stated argument is that the WNBA needs to establish clear eligibility standards defining who can compete in its women’s league.
The WNBA recently addressed the broader subject following a league meeting but did not announce a new eligibility policy.
“Today’s meeting covered a wide range of topics, including ongoing discussions on transgender athletes and the continued hate and vitriol directed at players online,” a league spokesperson said. “We will continue to engage all league stakeholders in the coming weeks and months. We will approach these important conversations thoughtfully and in alignment with the values of our league.”
Freedom is using that lack of an immediate policy announcement to keep pressing his point — and he is doing it with plenty of trash talk.
His comparison of Reese to NBA veteran Paul George was particularly pointed. George has faced years of criticism over high-profile postseason performances, including the Los Angeles Clippers’ collapse after taking a 3-1 series lead over the Denver Nuggets in the 2020 playoffs.
A WNBA task force of team presidents and general managers met Wednesday and discussed transgender athletes but did not arrive at any eligibility rules, according to a statement sent to ESPN by a league spokesperson.https://t.co/woN41EFRHC
— ESPN (@espn) August 13, 2026
Reese, meanwhile, has faced criticism over her shooting efficiency around the basket. Freedom’s post also mocked her growing media presence and podcast work.
The history between Reese and Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark adds another dimension to Freedom’s comments.
Reese and Clark have been linked as rivals since their college careers, particularly after LSU defeated Clark’s Iowa Hawkeyes in the 2023 national championship game. Their subsequent arrival in the WNBA brought that rivalry into professional basketball, even as both players have repeatedly dealt with narratives surrounding their relationship.
Freedom apparently has a very different partnership in mind for Clark.
During an interview with former Auburn basketball coach Bruce Pearl, Freedom said his preferred destination would be Indiana, where he could play alongside Clark.
“I’m just going to go out there, play basketball, because that’s my job. I think I can do a pretty good job,” Freedom said, according to Basketball Network. “It’s going to be fun, especially if I get drafted by a team, maybe Indiana.”
Sis!
Once I go No. 1 pick in the 2027 @WNBA Draft, the first player I’m dunking on is Angel Reese.
She’s the Paul George of the #WNBA.
Just lean into the podcast already.
— Enes Kanter FREEDOM (@EnesFreedom) August 17, 2026
Then came the comparison to one of the most dominant pairings in NBA history.
“Me and Caitlin will be modern Kobe and Shaq, I’m telling you,” Freedom said.
Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal famously led the Los Angeles Lakers to three consecutive NBA championships from 2000 through 2002. Comparing any prospective basketball partnership to that duo is setting the bar exceptionally high, although Freedom’s comments were clearly delivered as part of the larger joke.
He even imagined how a Clark-to-Freedom connection would look on the court.
Angel Reese with a chance to win it…
MISS 😱Atlanta Dream took 3 shots with time expiring and missed every single one
Sophie Cunningham kept the Fever alive.
She wants this win on her birthday 🎂 pic.twitter.com/BK4QbXISd1
— Alec Lace (@AlecLace) August 16, 2026
“Think about this … We’re going down the lane, Caitlin throws me a lob, and I cut the lob and dunk the ball,” Freedom said, according to Marca. “Then me and Caitlin bump chests … which I’m allowed to do now, because I’m a woman.”
Freedom played more than a decade in the NBA after being selected third overall in the 2011 draft. At 6-foot-10 and roughly 250 pounds during his playing career, he spent time with teams including the Utah Jazz, Oklahoma City Thunder, New York Knicks, Portland Trail Blazers and Boston Celtics.
He later became particularly outspoken on political issues, including criticism of the Chinese government. Born in Switzerland to Turkish parents, he adopted “Freedom” as his surname after becoming a U.S. citizen in 2021.
