Royce White declared for the 2027 WNBA draft earlier this month in protest against the league’s stance on trans players being allowed to compete in women’s sports.
Fast-forward to present day, and White has thrown down a $20,000 challenge every single WNBA player.
Royce White Puts A ‘Bounty’ On His Head in Open Challenge to WNBA Players
White doesn’t believe any of the WNBA players could beat him in a one-on-one game. So, he took to Dan Dakich’s “Don’t @ Me” show and said, “$20,000 cash money for any WNBA player who can beat me one-on-one. We can set that up. When the offseason hits and we’re in the offseason, $20,000 cash prize. In a game to let’s say [till] 15.”
When asked if he believes any player will take him up on this offer, White said, “I hope so. I’d love I’d love to meet some of my idols from the W, from the association. I’d love a chance to play one-on-one with them. I think it’d be entertaining. I think a lot of people in the country would pay to see it.”
White further threw down a challenge to three-time WNBA champion and four-time MVP A’ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces.
“I’d love to get A’ja Wilson,” continued White when speaking on which WNBA player he’d want to play against. “A lot of people online say that they think A’ja Wilson can beat me one-on-one and I just find that very amusing. I don’t think that she could guard me one-on-one. Idon’t think she could guard me with four other players.”
The topic of whether a WNBA player can beat an NBA player has been quite the divisive one over the years.
On the other hand, Dwayne Wade said to Lou Williams on his podcast last year that Wilson can beat some NBA players given her stature as a multiple-time MVP, claiming she can “get a couple” because she’s “smart.”
However, when it comes to White, he hasn’t played in the NBA since 2013-14. He was selected 16th in the 2012 NBA Draft after he earned All-Big 12 first-team honors at Iowa State.
Upon making it to the NBA, he played only three games and logged 9 minutes, scoring 0 points in the 2013-14 season and hasn’t stepped on NBA hardwood since. He did find success in the NBL Canada, as he was named the 2017 regular-season MVP. His last time playing professional basketball came in 2021 in the Big 3.
No WNBA player has responded to White’s challenge as of yet.
In regard to his declaration to want to compete against women in the W, White reiterated to Dakich that if Commissioner Cathy Engelbert dismissed him as a “publicity stunt,” he would find this to be quite ‘oppressing.’
“It’s bigotry. In my case, it’s bigotry. It’s racism. It’s white supremacy. It’s transphobic.”
The WNBA continues to avoid responding to the trans-athlete issue. It is worth noting that there are currently no trans athletes competing in the league.
