Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White’s provocative WNBA Draft declarations have reportedly been rejected, with league sources insisting neither former NBA player is eligible.
Sources around the WNBA told CNN that Freedom and White would not be permitted to play in the league after both announced plans to enter the 2027 draft.
The sources reportedly characterised their declarations as “publicity stunts” intended to mock the league, create division and demean others.
That represents the strongest response yet to a campaign that has generated enormous attention without producing a legitimate or immediate eligibility case for the WNBA to determine.
However, an important distinction remains: the league has not issued a formal public eligibility ruling carrying detailed reasons. The latest position has been communicated through unnamed sources familiar with the WNBA’s thinking.
White’s Draft Challenge Appears Finished
White recently filed a written notice informing the WNBA of his intention to enter the 2027 draft.
“As of signing this declaration, I identify as a transgender woman,” White wrote.
His representatives argued that the former Houston Rockets first-round pick satisfied the relevant age and college requirements. They requested written confirmation that the league had received the notice and a formal determination concerning his eligibility.
Submitting the paperwork never made White an official WNBA Draft candidate.
The declaration was instead part of a political challenge designed to pressure the league into publishing a more detailed transgender eligibility policy.
White had previously said he identified as a woman “for purposes of professional basketball” and threatened a discrimination lawsuit if he was prevented from participating.
League sources have now reportedly rejected the premise of that challenge entirely, maintaining there is no genuine eligibility matter requiring WNBA intervention.
Freedom’s Claim Also Rejected
Freedom announced a similar attempt to enter the 2027 draft after reviewing the wording of the WNBA’s collective bargaining agreement.
“If simply declaring who you are is all that’s required, then I meet every single requirement necessary to compete in the WNBA,” Freedom said.
The former NBA centre claimed he was attempting to ensure the league’s rules were applied “equally, consistently and without exception”.
However, his previous commentary opposing transgender participation in women’s sport and the deliberately provocative nature of the campaign led critics to question whether his declaration represented a genuine gender identity or a political protest.
Freedom played 11 NBA seasons but has not appeared in the league since 2022. White’s NBA career consisted of three regular-season appearances for Sacramento after Houston selected him with the 16th pick in 2012.
Courtside Clash Intensifies Controversy
The reported eligibility rejection emerged after Freedom was ejected from the Chicago Sky’s game against the Indiana Fever at Wintrust Arena.
Freedom attended the game wearing a shirt containing his definition of a woman and became involved in a heated verbal exchange with Sky guard Natasha Cloud during the third quarter.
Security intervened and escorted him from the arena after he moved towards the court.
“I just got kicked out of a WNBA game for supporting WOMEN!” Freedom subsequently wrote on social media.
The WNBA has not announced whether he will be prohibited from attending future matches. His removal from the arena and his reported draft ineligibility are separate matters.
What the WNBA Rules Actually Say
The league’s 2026 collective bargaining agreement states that “only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA”.
It does not contain a more detailed public definition of “women” within that provision or a publicly available policy explaining eligibility requirements for transgender or intersex athletes.
That absence provided Freedom and White with the wording required to launch their challenge, but it did not automatically make either man eligible.
There has never been a known transgender woman on a WNBA roster. The league has also said there are no current cases requiring an immediate eligibility review.
“We strongly denounce the bad-faith efforts to use these topics to demean or marginalize others,” a WNBA spokesperson previously said.
The league intends to continue discussing transgender participation with players, teams and the players’ association, but sources reportedly do not expect an immediate rule change.
A Political Stunt Rather Than a Basketball Comeback
Neither declaration resembled a conventional attempt to return to professional basketball.
White, who is also involved in Republican politics, openly framed his filing as a test of the WNBA’s rules. Freedom similarly used his announcement to attack the league’s position and reportedly attempted to recruit other former professional players to join the campaign.
Their efforts successfully exposed the limited detail contained in the publicly available eligibility wording.
They did not, however, force the WNBA to recognise them as draft prospects.
Unless the league issues a contradictory formal ruling, the attempted 2027 WNBA appearances of White and Freedom appear to be finished before the draft process has even begun.
