Trump offers Enes Kanter Freedom, Dennis Rodman 'full pardon' for WNBA: What do league rules actually say?

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.

Trump made the comment Thursday night as he spoke about the debate around transgender athletes and women’s sports. Kanter Freedom had announced in August that he planned to enter the 2027 WNBA Draft.

However, league sources later told The Associated Press and Reuters that Kanter Freedom was not eligible for the draft. Trump’s comment therefore does not mean he has been cleared to play in the WNBA.

What Donald Trump said about Enes Kanter Freedom?

Trump made the remarks at a rally in Durant, Oklahoma, where Kanter Freedom and Rodman were present. He said the two former NBA players had an “exemption” and that he was giving them a pardon to enter women’s sports.

“So [Rodman and Kanter Freedom], they are good and they have an exemption. I'm giving them a full pardon that they can go into women's sports anytime they want,” Trump said, according to Mediaite.

He then said he expected them to “break every record in the history of women's sports.”

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.

The WNBA and its players’ union operate under league rules and a collective bargaining agreement.

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Enes Kanter Freedom declared for 2027 WNBA Draft

Kanter Freedom announced in August that he intended to enter the 2027 WNBA Draft. In a post on X, he said he had reviewed the WNBA’s eligibility guidelines with his team and believed he met the requirements.

“After careful consideration and reviewing the current eligibility guidelines, I'm officially declaring myself a WNBA prospect,” Kanter Freedom wrote. “If simply declaring who you are is all that's required, then I meet every single requirement necessary to compete in the WNBA.”

He later formally submitted his declaration for the draft.

The announcement came during a wider public debate about transgender athletes in women’s sports. Kanter Freedom said his move was about how the WNBA applies its eligibility rules.

Also Read: Will Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White play in the WNBA? Latest on their eligibility

WNBA eligibility amid Trump’s statement

There is an important distinction between Trump’s comments and Kanter Freedom’s actual WNBA status.

On August 24, The Associated Press reported that Kanter Freedom and former NBA player Royce White were not eligible for the 2027 WNBA Draft, citing a person familiar with the decision.

Reuters also reported that league sources said the two were not eligible. Neither report said that Trump’s comments had changed that status.

The WNBA’s 2026 season schedule shows that the league’s draft and player eligibility are handled through its established league process. The WNBPA also publishes the collective bargaining agreement, which includes a specific section on player eligibility and the WNBA Draft.

Trump has now made his comments, but Kanter Freedom’s reported WNBA eligibility is still unchanged.