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

Key Points:

• Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White, both former NBA players, are not eligible to play in the WNBA despite declaring their intention to enter the 2027 WNBA draft and claiming to identify as women, according to league sources.
• The WNBA considers their declarations as publicity stunts intended to mock the league and marginalize others, emphasizing that eligibility rules, collectively bargained, state that only players who are women are eligible to play.
• The league’s current collective bargaining agreement does not address gender identity or gender assigned at birth, and the WNBA has no immediate eligibility issues requiring action but will continue to discuss the topic without yielding to outside pressures.
• During a recent Indiana Fever–Chicago Sky game, Freedom was involved in a verbal altercation with Sky guard Natasha Cloud, leading to Freedom being removed from the arena by security after he stood up and raised his arms.
• It remains unclear whether Freedom will be permitted to return to WNBA arenas following the incident, as the league has not made an official statement on his future access.