Former NBA player Enes Kanter recently declared for the 2027 WNBA Draft, joining fellow ex-professional Royce White in a move that has sparked significant debate within women’s basketball. The declaration comes amid ongoing discussion about transgender athlete eligibility in the league, particularly following Indiana Fever player Sophie Cunningham’s public statements on the topic.
During a recent interview with Bruce Pearl, Kanter expressed enthusiasm about potentially playing in the WNBA, specifically mentioning the possibility of joining Indiana. When Pearl suggested that Fever star Caitlin Clark might not pass him the ball, Kanter confidently responded by comparing their potential partnership to the legendary Lakers duo of Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal. He elaborated on his vision, describing a scenario where Clark would feed him alley-oop passes for dunks.
However, the WNBA appears skeptical about the seriousness of these declarations. According to league sources cited by Forbes’ women’s basketball insider Khristina Williams, the organization is not treating Kanter and White’s draft announcements as genuine threats. The source characterized their actions as efforts to “sow division and chaos” by actors working in “bad faith,” while indicating that the league plans to proceed with established protocols without being influenced by external pressure.
The situation has generated mixed reactions publicly, with commentator Joe Rogan praising Kanter’s intelligence, while others have criticized the declarations as mocking the professional league.
Originally reported by Sports.yahoo →
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