Sophie Cunningham’s opposition to transgender athletes in women’s sports has attracted significant backlash from the basketball community and even from voices outside the sport. However, among those who have most vocally supported her is former Boston Celtics star Enes Kanter Freedom, who has been pursuing a rather unconventional route in making his position known.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
In a Fox Sports interview on My View With Lara Trump, a clip of which was shared by Fox Sports on X on Friday, Freedom went considerably further than simply expressing support, describing Cunningham as an “American hero” and praising her willingness to hold her ground under sustained pressure.
“First of all, I want to say she’s an American hero. Everywhere she goes, I see now a lot of people are coming out and actually defending her. But obviously, if you’re standing up for something that you believe in, you’re gonna get hate all the time.”
“But I think she’s inspiring not only the players in the WNBA, but girls from all over the world, not only in America, because I get so many messages, and they’re saying that from all over the world — ‘Hey, if you ever see Sophie, can you please say hi to her?'”
Cunningham ignited a nationwide debate when she publicly stated that women’s sports and locker rooms need to be protected, asserting that biological men should not compete against biological women. And just as Enes Kanter Freedom pointed out, she has not retreated from that position by a single inch. She has even doubled down, tripled down, and explicitly stated that she will “never falter” and has refused to apologize.
Rather than simply commenting from the sidelines, Enes Kanter Freedom has chosen to use the WNBA’s own open-ended eligibility language to declare himself a prospect for the 2027 WNBA Draft.
He has formally submitted his name into the 2027 WNBA Draft pool, declaring that he now identifies as a woman. And he is not alone in doing so. Former NBA first-round draft pick Royce White has also followed the same path, identifying as a woman and declaring for the WNBA Draft. And according to Freedom, the movement may be growing, with two former NBA players, three G League players, and three European players all reportedly considering making similar declarations.
The WNBA has, however, responded firmly. Commissioner Cathy Engelbert and the task force she convened have formally characterised Enes Kanter Freedom and White’s draft declarations as “bad-faith efforts,” and have insisted that there are currently no real-world transgender eligibility issues actively affecting league competition.
The issue that began with Sophie Cunningham’s ESPN profile on July 21 has now stretched on for weeks with no clear resolution in sight. Meanwhile, there has been no shortage of backlash from fans and experts. While Cunningham fans have organized rallies during at least four separate Fever games to show their support, counter-protesters have shown up at every rally across states including Seattle, Minnesota, and Texas.
Even personalities associated with other sports, like Megan Rapinoe, have pushed back against Cunningham’s views. Meanwhile, many WNBA players like DiJonai Carrington have also supported the pushback against Cunningham’s views.
“I don’t know Sophie. So I can only project what I see about her beliefs based on her actions. And seeing a picture of her with Riley Gaines after the game told me everything I need to know about what’s happening. Riley Gaines has made it her life’s mission to exclude trans people from public life…”
So, as long as both sides remain as energised and as vocal as they are, this conversation might be nowhere close to over.