Two former NBA players say they plan to declare for the 2027 WNBA draft. Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White, both former NBA players, announced separately on social media that they intend to seek WNBA eligibility.
Their statements came amid a broader national debate over transgender athletes in women’s sports and after public comments from WNBA players, coaches and the Women’s National Basketball Players Association about inclusion and the protection of women’s competition.
The declarations do not mean either player is eligible for the draft or that the WNBA has accepted their claims. The league’s collective bargaining agreement says only women are eligible to play in the WNBA, but publicly available summaries of the agreement do not describe a detailed process for evaluating transgender applicants or claims based on gender identity.
Straight Arrow has requested comment from the WNBA and Athlete Ally, a national nonprofit organization that advocates for LGBTQ+ inclusion and equal access in sports. Neither response had been received by publication time.
Freedom wrote on X that he had reviewed the WNBA’s eligibility guidelines and was “officially declaring” himself a WNBA prospect. He said he was not seeking to mock or disrespect any community but wanted the league’s stated principles applied consistently.
White also said on X that he planned to declare for the 2027 draft, saying he identified as a “sometimes identifying transgender woman.” His statement, like Freedom’s, appeared intended to challenge the league to clarify its eligibility rules. White is a candidate in the Minnesota Republican Senate primary.
David Ridpath, a professor of sports business at Ohio University, told Straight Arrow that sports have long used categories based on age, weight, skill and sex. He said he supports inclusion but believes women’s sports should maintain sex-based categories when athletes transition after puberty because of what he described as competitive advantages.
Ridpath said the WNBA may need to address the issue more directly if former men’s professional players continue to test the language of its rules. He said one possible approach would be clearer eligibility standards, while others have suggested open categories or sport-by-sport policies.
Advocates for transgender inclusion have argued that transgender athletes should not be singled out for political debate and that sports organizations should avoid policies that stigmatize people based on gender identity. The Women’s National Basketball Player’s Association said in a statement Friday that it supports justice, equity, diversity and inclusion while rejecting “hate, abuse, and demonization” of transgender people.
Critics of broad eligibility policies have said women’s sports exist to preserve fair competition and opportunities for female athletes. Supporters of more inclusive policies say transgender athletes should have access to sports and that eligibility rules should be based on evidence, not political pressure.
For now, the WNBA has not publicly announced whether Freedom or White would be considered eligible for the 2027 draft. Their declarations have no immediate effect on league rosters, but they have intensified calls for the league to explain how it would apply its rules if a disputed eligibility claim reached the draft process.
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