Former NBA players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White are not eligible to play in the WNBA. League sources speaking to Front Office Sports and ESPN confirmed the rulings on the players’ declarations to enter a future draft, dismissing the submissions as publicity stunts designed to mock the competition amid ongoing national debates regarding transgender athletes in women’s sports.
Draft Applications Dismissed as Publicity Stunts
Collective Bargaining Agreement and League Response
League sources told ESPN that the WNBA “will not allow outside pressure or manufactured controversy to dictate league processes.” One league source characterized the efforts to the New York Post by stating the league is “not going to give oxygen to efforts designed to mock the league or use this topic to demean and marginalize others.”
Under Article XIII, Section 1(a) of the WNBA’s collective bargaining agreement agreed upon in March, the rule states that “only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA.” The agreement does not include specific language regarding gender identity or gender assigned at birth. No known transgender woman has played in the league.
Courtside Altercation at Wintrust Arena
The eligibility ruling follows an incident on Sunday, August 23, 2026, at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. Freedom was ejected during a game between the Chicago Sky and the Indiana Fever.
Seated courtside wearing a black T-shirt that read “WOMAN noun. adult human female,” Freedom engaged in a verbal altercation with Chicago Sky point guard Natasha Cloud during a timeout called late in the third quarter.
According to ESPN, Cloud walked toward Freedom and shouted at him while he stood with his arms outstretched, stepping toward the court before arena security intervened and escorted him out of the building. A spokesperson for Wintrust Arena told TMZ that any decisions regarding reprimanding or banning Freedom from attending future games fall under the purview of the WNBA, though the league had not announced an attendance ban as of Monday, August 24, 2026. A Chicago police spokesperson confirmed to TMZ that no police reports were filed regarding the incident.
Social Media Outcry and Political Context
Responding to the reports regarding his eligibility status, Freedom told the New York Post’s Stefan Bondy, “I haven’t heard anything from the WNBA officials yet. Fake News!”
Later on Sunday evening, Freedom posted on social media, “I just got kicked out of a @WNBA game for supporting WOMEN! Let that sink in, AMERICA!”
The public controversy follows months of heightened discussion surrounding women’s basketball, sparked in part by comments made in July by Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham expressing support for barring transgender athletes from girls’ and women’s sports. Senate, subsequently declared their eligibility for upcoming drafts.
Current Status of League Regulations
League sources indicated to ESPN that the WNBA has no immediate eligibility matters requiring action and that no rule alterations are expected in the near future, though the organization will continue to research and review the topic.
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