Trans athletes Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White are not eligible for the 2027 WNBA Draft, according to The Associated Press.
The former NBA players shocked the league by declaring for the 2027 WNBA Draft earlier this month. Both Freedom, 34, and White, 35, identify as women.
However, a WNBA source told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity that the two women are ineligible. The source did not elaborate on the reasons for their ineligibility.
Freedom and Kanter have threatened to sue if the WNBA refuses to draft them – since they are women and the league does not have a clear definition of what a woman is.
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert held an emergency meeting with general managers and team owners to come up with a definition for “woman” that wouldn’t be offensive to liberals.
The meeting concluded several hours later without a clear definition of what a woman is – even though WNBA literally stands for Women’s National Basketball Association.
The league’s $2.2 billion collective bargaining agreement (ratified in March) says only that the WNBA is restricted to women.
Attorneys are lining up to represent Freedom and Kanter in a possible lawsuit against the league for conspiracy and discrimination.
Freedom was ejected from Sunday night’s Indiana-Chicago game at Wintrust Arena after she was confronted by Chicago Sky guard Natasha Cloud, 34.
Cloud, a masculine-identified woman, objected to Freedom’s T-shirt that defined a woman as an “adult human female.”
Enes Kanter GOT INTO IT with a WNBA player and was KICKED OUT the arena ? pic.twitter.com/DCBhO8ZPhD
— BrickCenter (@BrickCenter_) August 24, 2026
Enes Kanter showed off his T-Shirt while being escorted out of the arena.
“WOMAN: adult human female” pic.twitter.com/gIFb5ejIQz
— BrickCenter (@BrickCenter_) August 24, 2026
Enes Kanter and Royce White star in newest woke WNBA ad ? pic.twitter.com/ms1r7xKtLP
— DFF (@DumbFxckFinder) August 24, 2026