According to APNews.com, sources say that Enes Kanter Freedom, the 6-10 former NBA player who was recently ejected from an Indiana Fever game, has reportedly been deemed “not eligible to play in the WNBA.” This ruling also applies to ex-NBA player Royce White, who has also recently expressed his intent to enter the 2027 WNBA Draft:
As I stated a few days ago, I am declaring for the 2027 WNBA Draft.
I identify as a sometimes identifying transgender woman! My wig is in the mail. pic.twitter.com/lPVsmcMOVD
— Royce White 🇺🇸 (@Highway_30) August 7, 2026
Both players have adamantly declared their intent to enter the 2027 WNBA draft in April. Still, according to multiple online media sources, the WNBA has come out and criticized this as a “publicity stunt” and is “not going to give oxygen to efforts designed to mock the league or use this topic to demean and marginalize others.” Previously, the WNBA has issued statements criticizing those trying to create a narrative about transgender women playing in the league.
The league sources stated that the WNBA does not have any legitimate and immediate eligibility matters that require action. The league will continue to discuss the topic, but it “will not allow outside pressure or manufactured controversy to dictate league processes.”
The WNBA collective bargaining agreement signed in March states that “only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA.” There is no further definition of a woman, and the WNBA has no publicly available policy governing eligibility of transgender or intersex athletes. No known transgender woman has played in the WNBA. However, they currently do not have any gender testing or protocols in place, so it is a bit of a gray area that only further escalates the ongoing culture wars.
So far, it has not been publicly stated exactly why these two players are not eligible to play in the WNBA, so it does not look like this issue will go away anytime soon.
About Dave Kelsey
Contributing author to The Comeback.