WNBA responds to congressional inquiry on player eligibility

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert has issued a response to a congressional inquiry led by Representative Marlin Stutzman regarding the league's eligibility requirements and its definition of a woman.

In the response to the House Republican Study Committee, Engelbert stated that "only women are eligible to play in the WNBA." This follows questions raised by Stutzman concerning the eligibility of former NBA players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White. While the league's 2026 collective bargaining agreement stipulates that only women are eligible to play, the league has not provided a specific biological definition of the term in its correspondence.

Representative Stutzman characterized the response as an acknowledgment regarding biological requirements, while the league maintains that its eligibility standards align with existing governing agreements.