Former NBA players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White are not eligible to play in the WNBA, according to sources around the league.
Sources told multiple outlets, including CNN, Front Office Sports, ESPN, and Reuters, on Monday that the pair cannot compete in the women’s league after publicly declaring themselves women and announcing plans to enter the 2027 WNBA Draft.
Freedom and White, both former NBA players, made their declarations in early August amid broader national debate over gender eligibility and transgender inclusion in women’s sports. Freedom, a 6-foot-10 center who played more than a decade in the NBA, formally notified the league of his intent. White, a former first-round pick, followed with a similar announcement, stating he identifies as a transgender woman for purposes of professional basketball.
League sources characterized the moves as publicity stunts intended to mock the WNBA, generate attention, and sow division rather than genuine eligibility bids. “There are no legitimate or immediate eligibility matters requiring action by the WNBA at this time,” sources said. The league has indicated it will address broader policy questions thoughtfully with stakeholders—including players, teams, and the players’ association—and will not let outside pressure or manufactured controversy dictate its processes.
The WNBA’s collective bargaining agreement states in Article XIII, Section 1(a): “Only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA.” The document contains no further definition of “women” and no explicit language addressing gender identity or sex assigned at birth. No known transgender women (individuals assigned male at birth) have played in the WNBA. The league’s first openly transgender and non-binary player, Layshia Clarendon, competed for more than a decade before retiring in 2024.
The declarations surfaced during heightened scrutiny of the issue in women’s basketball. Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham’s public comments opposing biological males competing in girls’ and women’s sports helped intensify the conversation. Freedom attended the Indiana Fever–Chicago Sky game in Chicago on Sunday, sitting courtside in a T-shirt that read “WOMAN noun. adult human female.” He was involved in a verbal altercation with Sky guard Natasha Cloud and was removed from the arena. The league has not announced any ban preventing him from attending future games.
The WNBA has not issued a formal public statement detailing its criteria for the specific cases beyond the anonymous source reports. Officials have previously said the league denounces bad-faith efforts that use the topic to demean or marginalize others while continuing internal discussions.
For now, sources make clear that Freedom and White will not be eligible to enter the player pool or compete in the WNBA.
