President Donald Trump said he would give former NBA players Enes Kanter Freedom and Dennis Rodman a “full pardon” to play in women’s sports during a rally in Oklahoma.
Kanter Freedom had announced in August that he planned to enter the 2027 WNBA Draft. Trump’s comment was about their participation in women’s sports, but a presidential pardon does not itself deter Enes Kanter Freedom declared for 2027 WNBA Draftmine who can enter or play in a professional sports league. Kanter Freedom announced in August that he intended to enter the 2027 WNBA Draft.
Trump’s comment therefore does not mean he has been cleared to play in the WNBA.
However, league sources later told The Associated Press and Reuters that Kanter Freedom was not eligible for the draft. He said the two former NBA players had an “exemption” and that he was giving them a pardon to enter women’s sports. In a post on X, he said he had reviewed the WNBA’s eligibility guidelines with his team and believed he met the requirements.
Trump made the comment Thursday night as he spoke about the debate around transgender athletes and women’s sports. Trump made the remarks at a rally in Durant, Oklahoma, where Kanter Freedom and Rodman were present. The WNBA and its players’ union operate under league rules and a collective bargaining agreement.
