What To Know About The WNBA’s Drama Around Transgender Players
Former NBA players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White have stated their intention to enter the 2027 WNBA Draft to challenge the league's inclusion policies regarding transgender athletes. The move is intended to highlight debates surrounding eligibility standards in women's sports.
Why it matters
Illustrates the ongoing cultural and political tension regarding gender identity policies in professional sports organizations.
Topline A pair of former NBA players have taken a mocking stance amid the ongoing debate about transgender athletes in women’s sports and said they’ll "declare" for the 2027 WNBA Draft in a test of the league's eligibility standards.
Enes Kanter on Feb. 26, 2020. Getty Images Key Facts Royce White, who played in three games of a singular NBA season more than 10 years ago, and former NBA center Enes Kanter Freedom have both said they’ll try to be drafted by the women’s league next year and that, under the league’s inclusionary approach, they should be eligible.
Kanter, who legally changed his name to include "Freedom" after becoming a U.S. citizen in 2021, said he'd reviewed the league's eligibility framework and should qualify under the "self-identification and inclusion" rules.
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