Enes Kanter mocks Angel Reese after missed shot, ties jab to 2027 WNBA draft stunt
Former NBA center Enes Kanter Freedom taunted Angel Reese for a late-game miss, using the incident to promote his self-declared bid for the 2027 WNBA draft and his challenge to the league’s gender-eligibility rules.
Enes Kanter Freedom, a former NBA center, launched a scathing social-media attack on Angel Reese after she missed a potential game-winning putback with three seconds remaining in regulation against the Indiana Fever. In a post on X, Kanter declared that, should he be selected No. 1 in the 2027 WNBA draft, his first dunk would be on Reese, calling her “the Paul George of the WNBA” and urging her to “lean into the podcast already.”
The comment builds on Kanter’s ongoing campaign to enter the draft as a test of the league’s gender-eligibility rules, a stunt later joined by ex-NBA player Royce White. The WNBA’s collective bargaining language limits eligibility to women, without specifying gender identity, and the league has dismissed Kanter’s claim as a “bad-faith effort.” The controversy also resurfaces after Fever guard Sophie Cunningham publicly opposed transgender women competing in women’s sports. Kanter continues to treat his hypothetical WNBA career as a reality, even joking about forming a modern Kobe-Shaq duo with Caitlin Clark.
Why it matters
The episode highlights ongoing debates over transgender participation rules in women's professional sports.
How this story developed
- Aug 7 Ex-NBA star Enes Kanter Freedom says he'll enter 2027 WNBA draft amid trans debate
- Aug 8 DiJonai Carrington was thrown out of a Chicago Sky game for a Flagrant 2 foul on Sophie Cunningham and later posted "WHITE PRIVILEGE" on social media.
- Aug 10 The league announced it will review Carrington for possible further sanctions.
- Aug 10 Commissioner Cathy Engelbert sent a memo to all teams outlining how the WNBA will discuss transgender participation after player Sophie Cunningham’s comments sparked controversy.
- Aug 12 Both Kanter Freedom and White have formally declared for the 2027 WNBA draft, intensifying league‑wide debates over transgender athlete inclusion.
- Aug 12 Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said he would file assault charges if a player repeats the hard foul in Florida.
- Aug 16 The league announced a task‑force meeting to examine transgender athlete participation.
- Aug 16 The WNBA subreddit now filters any mention of Sophie Cunningham’s name.
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