Former NBA Players Declare for WNBA Draft, Putting Transgender Eligibility Rules to the Test

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief

WASHINGTON (Worthy News) – Two former NBA players are seeking to put the transgender-athlete debate to a real-world test, declaring their intention to enter the 2027 WNBA Draft as questions intensify over who should be eligible to compete in women’s professional basketball.

Former NBA player Royce White announced Saturday that he intends to identify as transgender for the purpose of attempting a WNBA comeback, according to The Washington Times. White, a former first-round NBA draft pick who is also involved in Republican politics in Minnesota, argued that if gender self-identification determines eligibility, the league should be required to apply that standard consistently.

White’s move follows a similar announcement from former NBA center Enes Kanter Freedom, who said Friday that he was officially declaring himself eligible for the April 2027 WNBA Draft after reviewing the league’s rules.

“Based on the current guidelines, I can and am officially declaring my eligibility for the upcoming WNBA draft in April 2027,” Freedom said.

Freedom, who played 11 seasons in the NBA, said his announcement was not intended to mock transgender people but rather to force the league to confront what he sees as an inconsistency between biological sex and gender self-identification in women’s athletics.

“I’m simply asking that the current rules be applied equally to everyone,” he said.

WNBA Rules Face Increasing Scrutiny

The controversy comes amid a broader debate inside women’s basketball over protecting female athletic competition while accommodating transgender athletes.

The WNBA’s collective bargaining agreement states that “only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA,” although the provision has drawn renewed scrutiny over how the term “women” is ultimately defined and applied.

Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham recently added her voice to the debate, saying she wants to protect girls and women from having to compete against biological males.

Cunningham has stressed that her position is not based on hostility toward transgender people, but on preserving women’s athletic opportunities. Her comments triggered significant debate throughout the league, where other players and coaches have defended transgender inclusion.

The Women’s National Basketball Players Association responded to the growing controversy by reaffirming its commitment to “justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion,” while saying it opposes hatred or abuse directed toward transgender people and does not want players used as political pawns.

The declarations by White and Freedom now place the issue squarely before league officials. What began largely as a political and cultural debate could become a practical question of WNBA eligibility: If biological males identify as women, what standards — if any — determine whether they may compete in a professional league created specifically for women?

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