WNBA Says White and Freedom Are Ineligible to Play

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert told lawmakers that former NBA players Royce White and Enes Kanter Freedom are ineligible to play in the league because they are men, but her letter did not explain how the league defines women or applies its eligibility standards. Engelbert’s Oct. 16 response addressed a Sept. 17 inquiry from Rep. Marlin Stutzman and four other House Republicans. They asked how the WNBA defines women under its collective bargaining agreement and why White and Freedom had been deemed ineligible. The inquiry also raised player safety and confrontations between players and spectators. The 2026 agreement states that only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA. The provision does not define the term. Engelbert’s letter restated the eligibility rule and said the two men named by lawmakers could not play, but did not announce a new rule or describe criteria used to reach that determination. White and Freedom had said they planned to enter the 2027 WNBA draft while identifying as women. White told OutKick he plans to explore legal avenues against the league, but did not announce a lawsuit or provide a timetable. He said he could not discuss whether...