WNBA denies eligibility to Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert has informed Republican lawmakers that former NBA players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White are ineligible to play in the league, stating that “only women are eligible to play in the WNBA, and the individuals you cite in your letter are both men.” The response follows a congressional inquiry led by Representative Marlin Stutzman regarding how the league defines eligibility under its collective bargaining agreement.

While the league confirmed the ineligibility of Freedom and White, it did not provide a specific definition of “women” as requested by lawmakers. Both men had announced intentions to enter the 2027 WNBA Draft while claiming to identify as women, a move critics described as a political challenge to the league’s gender policies.

Separately, Enes Kanter Freedom was escorted from State Farm Arena by Atlanta police during Game 3 of the WNBA Finals. The incident occurred after Freedom rejected an arrangement to watch the game from a private luxury suite. Arena officials and the Atlanta Dream had proposed the suite due to security concerns and reported death threats Freedom claimed to have received. Freedom insisted on using the courtside seats he had purchased, leading to his removal from the property.