Former NBA Players Ineligible for WNBA Draft Amid Eligibility Debate
Former NBA players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White have been declared ineligible for the WNBA draft, according to an AP source. The WNBA has not provided specific reasons for the decision. This comes amidst ongoing debates about the eligibility…
Fort Myers Naples, FL, August 24, 2026 —
Former National Basketball Association players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White have been declared ineligible to participate in the upcoming WNBA draft. An Associated Press source confirmed the decision, though the WNBA has not publicly stated the specific reasons behind barring the two athletes from the draft.
The ineligibility announcement occurs against a backdrop of ongoing discussions regarding the criteria for eligibility within the WNBA, particularly concerning transgender women. Freedom and White had previously declared their intention to enter the WNBA draft, with both stating they identify as women.
Enes Kanter Freedom, who legally changed his name in 2022, was recently involved in an incident during a WNBA game. He was ejected from the arena for wearing a t-shirt with the definition of the word ‘WOMAN’ printed on it: ‘noun. adult human female.’
The WNBA has not yet provided further details regarding the eligibility criteria that Freedom and White failed to meet, or if their decision is related to the recent public statements or the shirt incident. The league’s stance on player eligibility remains a topic of discussion.
Story summarized from the original created by AP on apnews.com, see more information here.
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