Sophie Cunningham’s comments on transgender athletes have sparked a wider debate around the WNBA. That debate took another turn when former NBA players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White announced plans to pursue spots in the WNBA.
Both players have very different basketball and political backgrounds, but their recent comments have put them at the center of the WNBA’s ongoing discussion about transgender athletes and league eligibility.
Who Is Enes Kanter Freedom?
Freedom is a former NBA center who spent 11 seasons in the league. The 6-foot-10 big man was selected No. 3 overall by the Utah Jazz in the 2011 NBA Draft.
Kanter went on to play for the Oklahoma City Thunder, New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, and Portland Trail Blazers. He last played in the NBA in 2022 before stepping away from professional basketball.
Since leaving the league, Kanter has become known for his right-wing political activism and outspoken views on transgender athletes competing in women’s sports.
Kanter is now back in the basketball spotlight.
He recently announced that he plans to declare for the 2027 WNBA Draft. Kanter said he had reviewed the league’s eligibility rules and believes he meets the requirements to compete.
“If simply declaring who you are is all that’s required, then I meet every single requirement necessary to compete in the WNBA,” Kanter said in a video post on X.
Who Is Royce White?
White is another former NBA player who has now entered the raging WNBA debate over Cunningham’s stance.
White was selected No. 16 overall by the Houston Rockets in the 2012 NBA Draft after a standout career at Iowa State. The 6-foot-8 power forward was known as the “mystery pick” during the draft because of questions surrounding his availability and his struggles with anxiety and a fear of flying.
Those issues played a major role in the early part of White’s professional career. He had disputes with the Rockets over how his mental health concerns and travel requirements were handled, and never played a game for Houston.
White was eventually traded to the Philadelphia 76ers and waived in 2013. He later joined the Sacramento Kings and played three NBA games in 2014.
His NBA career was brief, but White continued playing professionally after leaving the league. He later found success in the National Basketball League of Canada, where he won an MVP award in 2017 and two championships with the London Lightning.
White also moved into politics after his basketball career. He became the Republican Party’s nominee in the 2024 U.S. Senate election in Minnesota but lost to incumbent Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar.
Now, White is back in the basketball headlines after saying he also plans to declare for the 2027 WNBA Draft.
“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 told Fox News Digital.
Both Kanter and White have used the uncertainty surrounding the WNBA’s rules and eligibility criteria to push their argument against transgender athletes competing in women’s sports.
It would be a stretch to assume that either will be selected in the WNBA draft. Their announcements, however, have put Cunningham’s concerns about protecting women’s sports back in the spotlight again.
