Report: Ex-NBAers Kanter Freedom, White not eligible to play in WNBA

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - AUGUST 23: Former basketball player Enes Kanter Freedom and Natasha Cloud #9 of the Chicago Sky yell at one another during the second half between the Chicago Sky and the Indiana Fever at Wintrust Arena on August 23, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois.
Michael Reaves / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Former NBA players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White won't be eligible to play in the WNBA after declaring themselves women and eligible for next year's draft, sources told ESPN's Kareem Copeland.

The league's collective bargaining agreement states that "only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA," but there's no specific language about gender identity or sex assigned at birth.

Kanter Freedom was involved in a verbal altercation with Chicago Sky guard Natasha Cloud while sitting courtside at a game at Wintrust Arena on Sunday. He was removed from the arena after the incident.

The WNBA hasn't announced any plans to ban Kanter Freedom from future games following his ejection.

The WNBA has been at the center of debates regarding the eligibility of transgender athletes in recent weeks after Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham said she was opposed to transgender girls and women competing in girls' and women's sports.

No known transgender women has ever played in the WNBA.

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