Enes Kanter and Royce White’s push to enter the WNBA may have slowed down after the league reportedly deemed both former NBA players ineligible for the 2027 WNBA Draft.
But the decision has opened another question, with U.S. Representative Nancy Mace now challenging the league over its lack of a clear public eligibility policy.
Rep. Nancy Mace Sends Message to the WNBA Over Trans-Athlete Eligibility Row
On Monday, Front Office Sports reported that league sources said neither Kanter Freedom nor White is eligible to participate in the 2027 WNBA Draft. The sources reportedly described their declarations as “simply publicity stunts,” while the WNBA has not publicly laid out detailed eligibility criteria for transgender athletes.
The WNBA’s current collective bargaining agreement states that only players who are women are eligible to play. However, the agreement does not publicly spell out how the league defines “woman” or address gender identity in detail.
Rep. Mace took to X to fire back at the WNBA. She argued that the league still has not clearly defined what it means by the word “woman.”
“WNBA Rules Former NBA Players Ineligible After Gender Declarations – but they still can’t DEFINE the word WOMAN,” Mace wrote on X.
WNBA Rules Former NBA Players Ineligible After Gender Declarations – but they still can’t DEFINE the word WOMAN.
— Nancy Mace (@NancyMace) August 25, 2026
Moreover, she is not the only prominent voice asking for clarity. Former ESPN journalist Linda Cohn has also been pushing the WNBA to provide something more concrete.
Cohn, who spent more than three decades at ESPN and made thousands of appearances on SportsCenter before retiring in 2026, has repeatedly criticized the league for not resolving the eligibility debate.
“Indiana scored 113 points and, sitting courtside, a former NBA center who wants to enter the WNBA draft next season. Arguing with a Chicago Sky player before being kicked out. But this is no longer an isolated incident. Everywhere the Fever travel, the controversy surrounding Sophie Cunningham’s comments seems to follow.”
“There have been rallies and counter-protests in Seattle, in Portland, in Minnesota, in Chicago, in New York; Sophie has been booed. Fans have been confronted. And now the controversy has moved from outside the arena to courtside. The WNBA keeps saying that it wants everyone to focus on basketball. Clarify your policy!” Cohn said on “The Linda Cohn Show”.
Interestingly, critics have also pointed toward Cathy Engelbert’s own history when discussing the issue.
When Engelbert became the WNBA’s first commissioner in 2019, a major part of her introduction centered on women and women’s advancement. According to an analysis published by OutKick, she used the word “woman” 33 times during that first press conference.
So it’s fair to wonder why, years later, that same league can’t seem to put a simple definition on paper.
