WNBA Draft Controversy Surrounding Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White

Former NBA players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White are not eligible for the WNBA draft, according to a confidential source familiar with the decision. This information emerged on Monday, shared with The Associated Press under anonymity due to the situation’s sensitivity. However, the specific reasons for their ineligibility were not disclosed.

Despite their declared intentions to enter next year’s draft, the WNBA has not publicly commented on their eligibility. This comes amidst ongoing discussions about the league’s stance on transgender women—individuals assigned male at birth who transition in accordance with their gender identity—and their participation in the WNBA. To date, no transgender women have played in the league.

The WNBA’s collective bargaining agreement specifies that the league is exclusively for women, though it lacks detailed provisions regarding gender identity or sex assigned at birth. Freedom and White have expressed their identification as women upon announcing their draft intentions. Freedom, a 6-foot-10 player, spent 11 seasons in the NBA, while White appeared in three NBA games.

During Sunday night’s game between Indiana and Chicago, Freedom was ejected following a confrontation initiated by Sky guard Natasha Cloud in the third quarter. Freedom was positioned along the baseline, donning a shirt that read, “WOMAN noun. adult human female.”

After Cloud scored a point with 1:22 remaining in the third quarter, she interacted with teammate Aicha Coulibaly before approaching Freedom. The encounter escalated as Cloud began yelling and gesturing at Freedom, leading to security and several players intervening. Freedom, maintaining his stance, engaged with security personnel before leaving the court area. He attempted to communicate with the crowd by showcasing his shirt and later conversed with police officers before exiting Wintrust Arena.

Via social media, Freedom expressed his discontent over being removed from the game, stating, “I just got kicked out of a @WNBA game for supporting WOMEN! Let that sink in, AMERICA!” Cloud, having consulted with team and league security post-game, did not engage with the media.

Fever guard Sophie Cunningham, featured in an ESPN profile last month, voiced her opposition to transgender girls and women participating in female sports. This has since fueled debates surrounding transgender involvement in the league. Prior to the game, Freedom participated in a small rally supporting Cunningham outside the arena.