Politixia
Two former NBA players have declared themselves eligible for the WNBA’s 2027 draft amid attention being drawn to how the league does not have eligibility requirements for trans players.
On Friday, former New York Knicks center Enes Kanter Freedom posted a statement and video on X saying that after “reviewing the current eligibility guidelines, I’m officially declaring myself a @WNBA prospect.”
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“If simply declaring who you are is all that’s required, then I meet every single requirement necessary to compete in the WNBA,” Freedom said. “My team and I have carefully examined the WNBA’s eligibility criteria and governing framework surrounding self-identification and inclusion. Based on the current guidelines, I can and am officially declaring my eligibility for the upcoming WNBA draft in April 2027.”
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As the Associated Press notes, while the WNBA’s collective bargaining agreement specifies that “only players who are women are eligible to play” in the league, it lacks any language around gender identity and sex assigned at birth.
Freedom is not a woman and does not identify as transgender.
On the same day, fellow former NBA player Royce White also declared himself eligible for the WNBA draft.
“I’m transgender. I’m a woman. I identify as sometimes identifying as a woman for purpose of basketball, professional basketball, so I’ll be declaring for the WNBA draft in 2027 as well,” White told Fox News, echoing anti-trans claims that cisgender men and boys fake trans identity to outperform cisgender women and girls in women’s and girls’ sports.
“I think the WNBA could come out and make a definitive statement about guys with a pair of balls playing in the Women’s Association,” White added, while suggesting that if he is not signed to a team, “We’re gonna have to have a huge legal battle about discrimination.”
Notably, both former ballers have political aspirations. Freedom, who attended the 2024 presidential inauguration as a guest of anti-LGBTQ+ House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), has said he intends to run for Congress in 2028. White — who has been described as a “far-right conspiracy theorist” and has a history of misogynist, anti-LGBTQ+, and antisemitic statements — is on the ballot in Minnesota’s August 11 Republican primary election, hoping to win his party’s nomination for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by incumbent Sen. Tina Smith (D), who announced early last year that she would not seek reelection. White has also faced allegations of misappropriating more than $100,000 in donations to his 2022 campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives.
Freedom and White’s announcements come amid recent public scrutiny of the WNBA’s position on transgender inclusion. While no out transgender woman has ever played in the league, the issue was thrust into the spotlight late last month following Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham’s comments opposing trans women and girls’ participation in women’s and girls’ sports.
As the AP reports, Cunningham’s comments sparked backlash from WNBA fans, players, and coaches.
On Friday, the Women’s National Basketball Players Association released a statement saying that its membership embraces “justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.”
“Those are the values that unite this Union and allow it to protect women’s sports while creating transformational change,” the statement read. “Hate, abuse, and demonization of any person or group of people, including transgender people, only fuel fear, division, and harm. We will continue to have hard conversations. But we will not be used as political pawns.”
Meanwhile, in a Friday afternoon memo, obtained by both the AP and ESPN, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert wrote that a task force of team presidents and general managers would address the issue of trans inclusion in the league at a meeting this week. Noting that the WNBA’s eligibility rules are collectively bargained, Engelbert said the league will “always approach this topic thoughtfully, respectfully, and in alignment with the longstanding values of our league.”
“We recognize that this is a complex and nuanced topic, and we will continue to have important conversations with all of you and the Players Association in the weeks and months ahead,” Engelbert wrote. “We also plan to convene additional discussions and offer listening sessions for any team leaders who would like to participate. Your perspectives and feedback are invaluable, and I appreciate those who have already reached out to share their thoughts.”
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