WNBA Rules Former NBA Players Ineligible for 2027 Draft

The Women's National Basketball Association has determined that former NBA players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White are not eligible to join the league, according to multiple sources familiar with the decision. The ruling, 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 widely seen as a challenge to the league's eligibility rules. The WNBA's collective bargaining agreement states 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.