Enes Kanter Freedom Royce White
Image credit - Wikimedia Commons/Erik Drost - Enes Kanter/Chad Davis
Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White spent the last few weeks pushing their way into the WNBA’s biggest storyline. That push has now hit a wall. League sources tell Front Office Sports and several other outlets that both former NBA players are not eligible to enter the 2027 WNBA Draft.
Freedom and White announced earlier this month that they intend to declare for the draft. Both said they identify as women.
A league source called the move “*simply publicity stunts.” The source added that the WNBA is “not going to give oxygen to efforts designed to mock the league or use this topic to demean and marginalize others.*”
Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White, two former NBA players, are not eligible to play in the WNBA, league sources tell FOS.
Sources call their draft declarations “publicity stunts” and say there are no immediate eligibility matters to address.
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) August 24, 2026
The league’s collective bargaining agreement offers little room for interpretation. Article XIII, Section 1(a) states that “*only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA.*” The CBA does not define the term further. It includes no language addressing gender identity or sex assigned at birth. No transgender woman has ever played in the league.
League sources also said the WNBA does not currently face any legitimate eligibility matter requiring immediate action.
The league “will not allow outside pressure or manufactured controversy to dictate league processes,” one source said.
The ruling came a day after Freedom was ejected from Wintrust Arena during Sunday’s game between the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky.
Freedom sat courtside wearing a shirt that read “*WOMAN noun. adult human female.*”
Sky guard Natasha Cloud approached him during a third-quarter timeout, shouting as she walked toward the baseline. Freedom stood, raised his arms and took a step toward the court. Security then moved in and escorted him out.
“*I just got kicked out of a WNBA game for supporting WOMEN!*” Freedom wrote on social media that night. Later, he also sent a stark warning directly to the WNBA.
“*Let that sink in, AMERICA!*” Cloud did not speak to reporters after the game. A Sky spokesperson said she met with team and league security.
Cloud later posted a message of support for the transgender community on Threads, writing that trans people are “loved” and “*will always be protected by me.*”
Enes Kanter Freedom’s Draft Push Followed A Wider WNBA Debate
The declarations from Freedom and White did not come out of nowhere. Fever guard Sophie Cunningham said in an ESPN profile last month that she opposes transgender athletes competing in girls’ and women’s sports. That comment sparked rallies both for and against her outside Fever games. Freedom attended one of those rallies before Sunday’s ejection.
The WNBPA has tried to steer the conversation away from individual players. The union released a statement earlier this month saying its members refuse to be used as “*political pawns.” It added that hate and demonization of any group “only fuel fear, division, and harm.*”
The league echoed that message, saying it “*strongly denounce[s] the bad-faith efforts to use these topics to demean or marginalize others.*”
It remains unclear whether Sunday’s ejection will keep Freedom out of future WNBA arenas altogether. The league has not announced any formal ban. A Wintrust Arena spokesperson said any decision to reprimand or ban him would fall to the WNBA. Freedom has shown no sign of backing down. He has said he intends to keep pushing the league toward clarity on its rules.
For now, the eligibility question is settled in the league’s eyes. The CBA’s language still leaves room for future disputes, though. Whether Freedom and White pursue legal action or simply move on, the episode has already forced the WNBA into a conversation it clearly did not want to have this close to the playoffs.