Enes Kanter Freedom wants to replace Cathy Engelbert as WNBA Commissioner and steals Trump slogan to launch campaign

Enes Kanter Freedom says he wants to replace Cathy Engelbert as the new WNBA Commissioner after she announced her retirement at the end of the calendar year. 

Kanter Freedom, the former NBA player who has gone to war with the league over its trans athlete policies after attempting to declare for the 2027 WNBA Draft, wasted no time reacting to Engelbert's impending exit. 

And he stole Donald Trump's slogan to launch his campaign, declaring he wants to 'Make WNBA Female Again' and saying: '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, he 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.'

Engelbert announced on Friday will retire from her role having faced enormous pressure this season over a range of issues. 

'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 - a former New York Knicks and Oklahoma City Thunder center - has inserted himself in the center of the trans athlete debate by suggesting he wanted to play in the WNBA.

The league has reportedly rejected his application for the WNBA Draft, insisting he is not eligible and denouncing 'bad-faith' efforts. Kanter Freedom has insisted he will drop the issue if they change their trans eligibility rules. 

'If they come out tomorrow and say only biological females are eligible to play, I'd drop everything,' Freedom said, per the New York Post. 'Until then, I am eligible to play.'

Earlier in the week, he extended an olive branch by asking Engelbert for peace talks led by Caitlin Jenner.

On X, he wrote: '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. 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.

'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?'.

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