Former NBA players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White are not eligible to play in the WNBA, according to league sources cited by Front Office Sports, despite both men recently declaring their intentions to enter the 2027 WNBA Draft.
The controversy began earlier this month when Kanter Freedom announced that he intended to enter the 2027 WNBA Draft, saying he identifies as a woman. White subsequently made a similar declaration. Their announcements sparked questions about what the WNBA’s existing eligibility rules say about who can enter the league.
The WNBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement states that “only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA.” However, the agreement does not provide additional language specifically defining gender identity or sex assigned at birth.
The league addressed the broader controversy after its anti-hate task force met to discuss transgender athletes and other issues involving online abuse directed toward players. In a statement, the WNBA said there were “no immediate eligibility matters affecting the WNBA” and strongly denounced what it described as bad-faith efforts to use the issue to demean or marginalize others.
League sources have now provided more clarity regarding Kanter Freedom and White specifically. Front Office Sports reported Monday that both former NBA players are not eligible to play in the WNBA. A league source characterized their draft declarations as “simply publicity stunts” and said the league would not give attention to efforts intended to mock the league or demean and marginalize others.
The issue took another turn Sunday during the Chicago Sky’s game against the Indiana Fever at Wintrust Arena. Kanter Freedom was seated courtside when he became involved in a heated exchange with Sky guard Natasha Cloud during the game. He was subsequently escorted from the arena by security. Kanter was wearing a shirt displaying a definition of the word “woman.”
After the incident, Sky head coach Tyler Marsh was asked about the situation and defended the environment the players deserve while emphasizing the basketball itself.
“If you come to a game you should probably come to enjoy the basketball,” Marsh said. “These players deserve that and have earned that.”
Marsh also said that, as a former basketball player, Kanter should understand and feel that way as well.
The incident added another layer to a debate that has increasingly surrounded the WNBA in recent weeks. The league has maintained that there are no immediate eligibility matters requiring action, while league sources have now stated that Kanter Freedom and White are not eligible to play in the league.
For now, the WNBA’s stated position remains that only women are eligible to play in the league, while the CBA does not publicly spell out additional criteria concerning gender identity. Kanter Freedom and White’s declarations have therefore not resulted in a path into the 2027 WNBA Draft.
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