WNBA says Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White are ‘both men’ — but still won’t define what a woman is

The WNBA is barring former NBA players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White after they tried to get drafted into the league, a push the men have described as supporting women in sports.WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert told Republican lawmakers that the two players are ineligible because they are “both men,” according to Fox News’s OutKick. Freedom and White entered the controversy after Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham, now in her eighth WNBA season, discussed transgender participation in women’s sports during a July 21 ESPN profile.“I got a lot of negative feedback about me hating trans,” Cunningham said. “And I’m like, ‘I never once said that.’ I think that I am here to extend love. But I also think with that love is truth, being honest. And I want to protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn’t have to go against biological men.”Many criticized Cunningham for her comments, with some saying she’s anti-trans. However, her remarks also garnered support for the basketball star and women’s sports.Protesters both supporting and opposing Cunningham gathered for the Fever’s game against the Seattle Storm on July 28. Two teenage girls with courtside seats brought signs to support Cunningham.“Thank you Sophie for speaking up for girls,” the sign read.On Aug. 27, White showed up to a Fever game sporting a blonde wig as part of his and Freedom’s campaign to enter the 2027 WNBA draft as biological males.The move came after Freedom was ejected from a Fever game on Aug. 22 for wearing a shirt that read, “woman, noun, adult human female.” Freedom also announced his decision to compete in the WNBA just weeks before, on Aug. 7.Both players’ decision to enter the WNBA draft was to highlight league rules and force the league to specify whether biological males can play in the WNBA. Under eligibility guidelines, they concluded they could declare themselves a prospect under the league’s framework.“With respect to your questions regarding eligibility, only women are eligible to play in the WNBA and the individuals you cite in your letter are both men,” Engelbert wrote in the Friday letter provided to OutKick by the America First Policy Institute, which represents Freedom.Freedom fired back at Engelbert’s letter, telling OutKick he believes Engelbert misgendered him in her letter to Congress by stating he was a man.“Cathy Engelbert cannot clearly define what a woman is, but she’s absolutely certain that I’m a man,” Freedom told OutKick. “I mean, how does that make sense? Who gets to decide? Who has the authority to determine whether someone is a woman?”“So if the league is still working through these questions, how can its commissioner be so certain about my eligibility without explaining the standards that she’s applying?” he added.PLAYERS ‘INTENTIONALLY TRYING TO DESTROY’ WNBA AS NATIONAL ANTHEM CONTROVERSY ERUPTS: JOE CONCHAFreedom told OutKick he intends to continue pursuing a place in the league unless its rules change.The Washington Examiner contacted the WNBA for comment.