08/09/2026
Apparently, former NBA players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White have both publicly talked about entering the 2027 WNBA Draft, using the idea to challenge the debate over athletes born male competing in women’s sports.
Their statements came as WNBA players have taken opposing positions on the issue, with Gabby Williams saying she would welcome a transgender athlete as a teammate or opponent, while players such as Sophie Cunningham have argued that women should not have to compete against athletes born male.
Neither Kanter Freedom nor White has been declared eligible for the WNBA, and their comments appear intended to make a broader point: if women’s sports are organized as a separate competitive category because of biological differences between men and women, where should leagues draw the eligibility line?
That is the larger debate their statements are putting back in the spotlight.
