WNBA rules Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White ineligible for 2027 draft

The WNBA has reportedly ruled former NBA players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White ineligible for the 2027 WNBA Draft. The decision follows the two men publicly declaring their intention to enter the league after stating they identify as women.

League sources described the declarations as “publicity stunts” and “manufactured controversy” intended to mock the league or sow division. While the WNBA’s collective bargaining agreement states that “only players who are women are eligible to play,” the league currently lacks a specific public policy defining gender identity or birth sex for eligibility purposes.

The controversy follows an incident at a Wintrust Arena game between the Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever, where Kanter Freedom was escorted from the arena after a verbal confrontation with Sky guard Natasha Cloud. Kanter Freedom was wearing a shirt that defined a woman as an “adult human female.”

In response to the eligibility ruling, former Representative Matt Gaetz announced he is representing Royce White and warned the WNBA of potential legal action.