Enes Kanter Freedom Enters WNBA Draft

Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White, both former first-round NBA draft picks, have announced their intentions to enter the 2027 WNBA Draft, challenging eligibility rules in women's basketball.

The two former NBA players publicly declared their plans amidst the ongoing debate surrounding transgender athletes' participation in women's sports.

The surprising announcements came within hours of each other, with both using their planned draft entry to question the eligibility criteria in professional women's basketball.

Freedom, who played 11 seasons in the NBA, made his statement on Friday via social media.

"After careful consideration and reviewing the current eligibility guidelines, I am officially declaring myself a candidate for the WNBA," Freedom wrote.

The former NBA center stated that the league's eligibility rules should be applied consistently, questioning how gender would practically be determined for competitors.

"If simply declaring who you are is all that's required, then I meet every single condition necessary to participate in the WNBA," he added.

Freedom was drafted third overall by the Utah Jazz in the 2011 NBA Draft. He played 748 regular-season games for the Jazz, Oklahoma City Thunder, New York Knicks, Portland Trail Blazers, and Boston Celtics.

The 6-foot-10 center concluded his NBA career averaging 11.2 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. His last appearance in the league was during the 2021-22 season.

Hours later, another former first-round draft pick announced similar intentions.

Royce White, whom the Houston Rockets selected 16th overall in the 2012 NBA Draft, posted on X that he also plans to enter the 2027 WNBA Draft.

"I am transgender. I am a woman. I identify as a woman sometimes for the purpose of professional basketball, so I will be entering the 2027 WNBA Draft," White said in a statement published on Fox News' social media.

"I think I'll be unstoppable. But I'm a team player. I pass first. I do the little things. I led my team in all five major statistical categories at Iowa State University, so I do a little bit of everything. I'll do whatever the coach needs me to do. I'll do whatever the girls need me to do... I think it's fair," he added.

Unlike Freedom, White's NBA career was exceptionally brief. After being drafted by Houston, he never played a regular-season game for the Rockets and ultimately appeared in only three NBA games, all with the Sacramento Kings during the 2013-14 season.

White later continued his career outside the NBA, including successful stints in the Canadian NBL and appearances in the BIG3 league.