Former NBA players not eligible for WNBA, sources say

Former NBA players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White are not eligible to play in the WNBA, sources around the league told CNN on Monday. ESPN was first to report on the news. Both men announced last month that they now identify as women and said they planned to enter the 2027 WNBA draft amid a national conversation surrounding gender eligibility policies and transgender inclusion in women’s sports. However, no transgender women have played in the WNBA. The sources firmly rejected the draft declarations, characterizing them as publicity stunts designed to mock the league, sow division, and draw attention to the topic by demeaning others. There are no legitimate or immediate eligibility matters requiring action by the WNBA at this time, the sources said. The league has said it plans to approach the broader topic “thoughtfully” alongside its primary stakeholders, including players, teams and the union, and would not allow “outside pressure or manufactured controversy to dictate” its internal processes or force a response to efforts intended to demean others. On Sunday, Freedom was ejected after a high-profile courtside incident at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. During the third quarter of the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky game, Freedom, who was seated along the baseline wearing a shirt bearing the definition of a woman, got into a heated verbal exchange with Sky guard Natasha Cloud. “It’s always women hating on other women,” Freedom posted on X after the game. No formal announcement or disciplinary ruling regarding a potential game ban for Freedom has been made.