Former NBA players Kanter Freedom and Royce White ruled ineligible for WNBA draft

A person familiar with the matter told the Associated Press on Monday that former NBA players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White are not eligible for the upcoming WNBA draft. The source, who requested anonymity, did not provide details on why the two men were deemed ineligible.

Both Freedom and White have publicly announced their intention to enter the league’s draft, and they have identified as women. The WNBA has not issued a formal statement on their eligibility, and the league’s collective bargaining agreement simply restricts participation to women without specifying criteria related to gender identity or sex assigned at birth.

Freedom, a 6-foot-10, 250-pound former NBA player with 11 seasons of experience, was ejected from a recent Indiana Fever game after a confrontation with guard Natasha Cloud. He was wearing a shirt that read “WOMAN noun. adult human female” at the time. The incident was reported by game officials, and security escorted Freedom from the arena.

Royce White, who appeared in three NBA games, also seeks to join the WNBA, but his eligibility remains unresolved. The league continues to face broader debates over the participation of transgender athletes, a topic that has drawn comments from players and officials alike.