Enes Kanter Freedom, Royce White Not Eligible to Play in WNBA

Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White, former NBA players, are not eligible to play in the WNBA, according to league sources. The two men recently declared their intentions to enter the 2027 WNBA draft, stating that they identify as women. The league dismissed their declarations as "simply publicity stunts" and emphasized that they will not provide "oxygen" to efforts that mock the league or demean others.

The WNBA's eligibility rules, collectively bargained, stipulate that only women are eligible to play. The league's new collective bargaining agreement has a single line on gender eligibility in Article XIII Section 1 (a), reading "Only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA." This CBA does not include any language regarding gender identity or gender assigned at birth.

On Sunday, Freedom attended a Chicago Sky–Indiana Fever game, where he engaged in a verbal altercation with Sky guard Natasha Cloud. After being restrained by security, Freedom was escorted out of the arena. Cloud, an 11-year WNBA veteran, informed security about the incident but declined to speak to the media. It remains unclear if Freedom is permitted to return to WNBA arenas.