WNBA Officially Rejects Enes Freedom And Royce White For Being Men

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert told House Republicans in a letter last week that Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White cannot play in the league because they are men. Her letter did not include the definition of “women” that lawmakers had requested.

“With respect to your questions regarding eligibility, only women are eligible to play in the WNBA and the individuals you cite in your letter are both men,” Engelbert wrote.

The America First Policy Institute, which represents Freedom, provided the letter to OutKick, which was released Tuesday.

BREAKING: The WNBA told Congress that Enes Freedom and Royce White are ineligible to play in the league because they are men and only women are eligible to play in the WNBA. pic.twitter.com/Oy2gABXQsZ

— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) October 20, 2026

Rep. Marlin Stutzman (R-Ind.) and four other House Republicans asked Engelbert about eligibility, player safety, and confrontations with fans after Freedom and White announced plans to enter the 2027 WNBA Draft while identifying as women. They asked how the league defines “women” under Article XIII, Section 1(a) of its 2026 collective bargaining agreement. That provision states, “Only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA,” but contains no definition of the term.

“The WNBA has just taken the first step in defining what a woman is for the sports community,” Stutzman told Outkick. “By clearly labeling Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White as men, they have acknowledged that identifying as a woman does not change basic human biology.”

Engelbert’s letter announced no new eligibility rule, no broader policy on transgender athletes and no change to the bargaining agreement with the players’ union.

Freedom called out Englebert for her hypocrisy.

“Cathy Engelbert cannot clearly define what a woman is, but she’s absolutely certain that I’m a man,” Freedom told OutKick. “I mean, how does that make sense? Who gets to decide? Who has the authority to determine whether someone is a woman?”

“So if the league is still working through these questions, how can its commissioner be so certain about my eligibility without explaining the standards that she’s applying?” he said.

In August, the league’s existing “anti-hate task force,” made up of team presidents and general managers, discussed transgender participation and online abuse of players. The league said at the time that it faced no immediate eligibility issues and condemned the use of the subject to demean others.

“If the task force itself has not reached a clear definition, why is the commissioner making such a definitive statement?” Freedom asked.

Asked whether Engelbert had misgendered him, Freedom said, “Yes, 100%.” He added, “I just want her to respect my identity because I am telling you that I identify as a woman.”

Freedom said the goal of his bid is to push the league to limit play explicitly to biological females. “This is bigger than one basketball player,” he said. “Who gets to determine someone’s identity? The individual, the commissioner, the medical professional, or a committee or a task force?”

Enes Kanter Freedom called out the WNBA for declaring him “a man” and ruling him ineligible for the WNBA without clearly defining what a woman is. https://t.co/SoP6W1Y5oj

— Jackson Thompson (@JackThompsonFOX) October 20, 2026

“And who gets to determine eligibility to compete in women’s category? So those may be different decisions, but the WNBA needs to explain where it draws the line,” Freedom said.

The issue extends beyond Freedom and White. Julie Tetart, a French transgender basketball player who is biologically male, told OutKick in August of an interest in playing in the WNBA. “If they contact me, I won’t say no. But you have to be realistic: I’m old, and there are far better players than me!” Tetart said.

The WNBA has not said what position it would take if Tetart sought to join the league.

The eligibility debate grew this summer after Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham voiced support for keeping transgender girls and women out of female sports. Her comments drew rallies during Fever road trips. Freedom has said Golden State Valkyries player Gabby Williams’ support for transgender athletes inspired his effort.

Engelbert announced in September that she will retire at the end of 2026. Freedom said her successor could end his challenge with a single word added to the rules. “We are adding the word biological next to the word female, this whole thing will end the next day. I will walk to the sunset. They will not hear from me ever again,” he said.

“I’m asking for consistency,” Freedom said. “If they do not change the rules, they better select me in a WNBA draft in 2027.”

“You cannot answer an eligibility question simply by declaring what somebody is,” he said. “You need to explain the policy you are enforcing.”