Former NBA player Royce White says he plans to declare for the 2027 WNBA Draft and will identify as a woman, a move intended to challenge the league’s eligibility rules regarding transgender athletes.
“I’m transgender. I’m a woman. I identify as sometimes identifying as a woman for the purpose of basketball, professional basketball, so I’ll be declaring for the WNBA draft in 2027 as well,” White told Fox News Digital. The 6-foot-8 former first-round draft pick believes his size would make him “unstoppable” in the women’s league.
White’s announcement came just hours after fellow former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom made a similar declaration. Both are pointing to the WNBA’s current collective bargaining agreement, which states “only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA” but does not explicitly define “women” or establish a comprehensive transgender policy.
“If simply declaring who you are is all that’s required, then I meet every single requirement necessary to compete in the WNBA,” Kanter Freedom said in his announcement.
White suggested he would pursue legal action if the league blocks him from playing. “I have to file a discrimination lawsuit, right? I mean, that’s ridiculous,” he said. He also said he would use the women’s locker room if he made a team. White is also running in Minnesota’s Republican Senate primary on August 11.
The WNBA Players Association released a statement on the matter, saying it “embraces justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion” but will not be “used as political pawns”. The league has not formally responded to the declarations.
