NBA’s Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White pull anti-trans stunt over WNBA rules
Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White (Getty Images)
Former NBA players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White have been called out for pulling an anti-trans stunt, after the ongoing discussion of trans players in the WNBA.
Freedom, who played 11 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) until 2022, shared a post on X on 7 August declaring he was a “WNBA prospect”. He wrote: “If simply declaring who you are is all that’s required, then I meet every single requirement necessary to compete in WNBA.”
His post continued: “My team and I have carefully examined the WNBA’s eligibility critera and governing framework surrounding self-identification and inclusion. Based on the current guidelines, I can and am officially declaring my eligibility for the upcoming WNBA draft in April 2027.”
WNBA rules on participation
According to the Associated Press, the Women’s National Basketball Association’s (WNBA) bargaining agreement says “only player who are women are eligible” to play in the league, but does not use more specific language in terms of whether that includes trans women as well as cisgender women.
Freedom’s post went on: “I know my presence on the court will stir up strong opinions. I am definitely not here to mock, make fun of, or disrespect any community or personal choices. I’m simply asking that the current rules be applied equally to everyone – the rules that represent the very values many WNBA players and coaches have publicly advocated for.”
His post garnered backlash in the replies, with one person writing: “There are currently 0 trans WNBA players. Creating a hysteria that doesn’t exist is your attempt to stay relevant. The NBA doesn’t want you, would’ve hoped you’d have better retirement goals than mocking the WNBA.”
Another said: “Imagine being this fragile that you have to punch down on women and trans people to make yourself feel better about being a s***** basketball player.”
Royce White wades in
Former NBA player Royce White, who retired in 2018, also declared on 7 August that he was making himself eligible for the WNBA draft.
He told Fox News: “I’m transgender. I’m a woman. I identify as sometimes identifying as a woman for purpose of basketball, professional basketball, so I’ll be declaring for the WNBA draft in 2027 as well.”
White went on: “I’m a young Black, hopefully United States Senator that would like a fair chance to participate as a sometimes-identifying-as-a-transgender-woman athlete.”
White later shared a photo of himself wearing a long-hair wig, saying: “This is my feminine era glow up, did I slay? If y’all don’t ‘yassss queen’ you’re transphobic. I really don’t understand all the hatred, I just want to play some hoops with my fellow ladies.”
Someone responded: “Trans people aren’t the problem, people like you are. Thanks for proving that to the world.”
The former sportsman previously described himself on X as “extremist, cis-male, sexist, misogynist, homophobic, transphobic”, claiming those were what social media users had labelled him. He has also said the LGBTQ+ community has a “pervasive effect” on society.
He ran for the Republican nomination for the United States House of Representatives in 2022 but was beaten by Cicely Davis. Then in 2024 he announced he would be running as a Republican for the US Senate in Minnesota. After losing his bid for the Senate, he said he would run again in 2026.
What is going on in the WNBA?
The anti-trans stunts come as the WNBA has come under scrutiny recently over discussions about transgender women competing.
Sophie Cunningham, who plays for Indiana Fever, has spoke in defence of excluding trans women from the sport, saying: “I think that I am here to extend love. But I also think with that love is truth, being honest.”
She added, after saying she “does not hate” trans people, during an interview with ESPN: “I want to protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn’t have to go against biological men.”
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