WNBA Bars Former NBA Players From Women's League After Transgender Declarations

The WNBA has ruled that former NBA players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White are ineligible to enter the league's draft or play in the women's circuit, according to multiple reports citing league sources. The decision, reported on August 24, 2026, comes after both men publicly declared themselves transgender women and announced plans to enter the 2027 WNBA draft, a move the league characterized as a publicity stunt.

League sources stated the WNBA would not allow outside pressure or manufactured controversy to dictate its processes. The collective bargaining agreement specifies that "only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA," but it does not provide a definition of "woman" or include specific language regarding gender identity. This ambiguity had been the focal point of the declarations made by Kanter Freedom and White earlier in August.

The ruling followed a highly publicized incident on August 23 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. Kanter Freedom, 34, attended the game between the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky as a spectator. He was seated courtside wearing a black T-shirt with the text "WOMAN noun. adult human female." During a third-quarter timeout, Chicago Sky...