Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White made themselves the center of the WNBA’s transgender athlete debate by declaring for the 2027 draft. This forced the league to grapple with a question it hasn’t answered publicly.
But behind the scenes, it looks like the WNBA has no intention of letting that question take hold, as a league source says it isn’t giving Kanter Freedom and White’s declarations any real traction.
WNBA’s Stance On Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White’s Declarations
The chain of events started when Kanter Freedom, a former NBA center, announced he was declaring himself eligible for the 2027 WNBA Draft, arguing that the league’s own principles of inclusion and self-identification should apply to him too. It wasn’t long before a second ex-NBA player, Royce White, announced he, too, was declaring himself eligible for the draft.
Caught in the middle of all this, the WNBA convened a task force of team presidents and general managers to talk it through. The group met Wednesday and discussed transgender athletes at length, but didn’t land on any eligibility rules. The league’s public statement, sent to ESPN, stayed measured and committed to almost nothing.
No rules. No deadline. No names. Just an acknowledgment that the conversation is ongoing, wrapped in language about values and stakeholders.
However, WNBA insider Khristina Williams reports that the league’s internal read on Kanter Freedom and White’s declarations is a lot less diplomatic than the public statement lets on.
“Per league source, the WNBA is not taking declarations by former NBA players for the ’27 WNBA Draft seriously. Source called them attempts to ‘sow division and chaos’ by ‘bad-faith actors.’ Nothing is imminent. League will follow its process and not let outside noise dictate it,” Williams reported on Wednesday.
Per league source, the WNBA is not taking declarations by former NBA players for the ‘27 WNBA Draft seriously. Source called them attempts to “sow division and chaos” by “bad-faith actors.” Nothing is imminent; league will follow its process and not let outside noise dictate it.
— Khristina (@Khristina) August 13, 2026
Where the official statement talks about “engaging stakeholders” and approaching things “thoughtfully,” Williams’ source describes a league that has already made up its mind on the Kanter Freedom and White situations.
Both players have continued their crusade to put more pressure on the league, but as things stand, any resolution one way or the other remains out of reach.
