Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White Are Not Eligible for the WNBA Draft, AP Source Says
League sources said the former NBA players are not eligible under WNBA rules, which require participants to be women.
- On Monday, league sources confirmed that former NBA players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White are ineligible for the 2027 WNBA draft, citing the collective bargaining agreement requirement that "only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA."
- Freedom and White declared themselves women to qualify for the draft, though the league has not publicly addressed their specific eligibility status and the agreement lacks explicit language regarding gender identity or sex assigned at birth.
- Sunday night, security ejected Freedom from the Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever game following a confrontation with Sky guard Natasha Cloud, where he wore a shirt reading "WOMAN" to protest alongside Fever guard Sophie Cunningham.
- The WNBPA released a statement this month declaring they would not be used as "political pawns," while sources suggested the players' move aims to sow division within the league amid national debates.
- Ongoing conversations with stakeholders regarding transgender participation continue as the WNBA currently has no active, openly transgender players and lacks a specific, publicly available policy on the issue.
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Two ex-NBA stars barred from women's league but trans basketballers STILL allowed to play
Two former NBA starts have been barred from playing in the WNBA - but trans basketballers are still allowed to play.Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White, who both enjoyed careers in the men's league, had declared their intentions to enter the 2027 WNBA draft after identifying as women.League sources have now said the men are banned from playing in the WNBA, but it remains unclear how that decision was made.Sources raged to Front Office Sports tha…
By Wayne Sterling, CNN. Former NBA players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White are ineligible to play in the WNBA, sources close to the league told CNN on Monday. Both former players announced last month that they now identify as women and plan to enter the WNBA draft. The post Former NBA players ineligible for WNBA, sources say: Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White face criticism appeared first on KVIA.
Associated Press News
Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White are not eligible for the WNBA draft, AP source says
Former NBA players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White are not eligible for the WNBA draft, according to a person familiar with the decision.
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