Former NBA players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White are not eligible to play in the WNBA, according to league sources on condition of anonymity.

Both players recently announced their intentions to enter the 2027 WNBA Draft after saying they identify as women. Their announcements came during a growing debate over transgender participation in women's sports and the WNBA's own eligibility rules.

League sources firmly rejected those draft entries. Speaking to Front Office Sports, a league source called the declarations "simply publicity stunts."

The source also emphasized the league’s official stance, stating that the WNBA is "not going to give oxygen to efforts designed to mock the league or use this topic to demean and marginalize others," per Front Office Sports.

Enes Kanter Freedom played 11 seasons in the National Basketball Association from 2011 to 2022. And Royce White played in just three regular-season NBA games before moving to the overseas leagues.

The WNBA collective bargaining agreement explicitly states that "only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA" under Article XIII, Section 1(a).

However, it does not include specific language regarding gender identity or sex assigned at birth. As a result, the league does not currently maintain a separate, detailed public policy governing transgender or intersex athlete participation.

On that, WNBA officials noted that there are no immediate eligibility matters requiring institutional changes and that they will not allow outside political pressure to dictate internal league processes.

Last month, Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham shared her personal views on biological participation in women's sports during an ESPN interview.

Her remarks drew wide attention, leading the WNBA Players Association to issue a public statement affirming that its members would not be used as "political pawns" in public debates.

Enes Kanter Freedom ejected from Sky vs. Fever game

On Sunday night, Enes Kanter Freedom attended a game between the Indiana Fever and the Chicago Sky at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, wearing a black shirt featuring the text: "WOMAN noun. adult human female."

Late in the third quarter, Chicago Sky guard Natasha Cloud scored a basket and walked toward the baseline where Freedom was seated, starting a heated verbal exchange.

Freedom stood up and held his arms out. Arena security guards and several Sky players quickly stepped between the two, and security escorted Freedom away from the floor while he spoke to officials near the baseline.

Following the ejection, Freedom expressed his view on the event to arena security and on social media, writing on X that he was removed from the arena for supporting women.

On the player side, Natasha Cloud spoke with team and league security after the game but did not attend the media session.

It remains unclear whether Freedom will be allowed to attend WNBA games in the future.

Written by

Md Saife Fida

Edited by

Zaid Quraishi