Clay Travis argued that the WNBA is being “checkmated” after former NBA players announced their intention to declare for the 2027 WNBA Draft.

Travis said Enes Kanter Freedom’s move puts the league in a difficult position by forcing it to address how eligibility for women’s basketball is determined.

“If [Enes Kanter] is not a woman, then they’re going to have to acknowledge that in some way they CAN determine who a woman is!” Travis said.

He argued that, under the position he attributes to some players and coaches, the WNBA would have to consider Kanter Freedom eligible if self-identification alone were sufficient.

“They have to allow him to be eligible to play in the WNBA. He is basically calling them out on the absurdity of their position and taking it to its logical conclusion.”

Travis described Kanter Freedom’s declaration as an effective way of challenging that position.

“Think this is why the Enes Kanter decision was so brilliant – because under the definition of woman as accepted by many different coaches and players, as soon as you say you are a woman, you are just as much of a woman as someone else!”