RESOLVING THE LEDGER
This is one outlet's own report from The Independent — the article as it was filed. Other outlets are covering the same event; open the full story to compare every source side by side.
See the full story · 2 sourcesRoyce White’s announcement is the second by a former NBA player in recent days since the WNBA star renewed the debate about transgender athletes in women’s sports
Bookmark Comments Go to comments Bookmark popover Removed from bookmarks
He didn’t score many points in his brief stint in the pros — but an ex-NBA player running for Congress appears to be going to great lengths to make one.
Former NBA bust and current Republican Senate candidate Royce White has announced plans to enter the 2027 WNBA Draft, claiming he now identifies as transgender — for athletic purposes, anyway.
“I’m transgender. I’m a woman. I identify as sometimes identifying as a woman for purpose of basketball , professional basketball, so I’ll be declaring for the WNBA draft in 2027 as well,” White, 35, told Fox News Saturday.
White’s announcement comes one day after former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom, who is a man, said he also plans to enter the 2027 WNBA Draft. Freedom’s statement followed comments from WNBA player Sophie Cunningham about transgender athletes that renewed a heated debate on the league’s policies for transgender players. It also comes as President Donald Trump has made barring transgender women from from competing in women’s sports.
White, a 6’8” forward who played just three games in the NBA, all in 2014, continued Saturday, “I think I’d be unstoppable. But I’m a team-first guy. I’m a pass-first kind of player. I do the little things. I led my team in all five major stat 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.”
Freedom said he reviewed the WNBA’s eligibility rules before announcing his plans to enter the league and believes he meets the requirements to play.
The WNBA’s 2026 collective bargaining agreement states in Article XIII that “only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA.” However, the 409-page agreement does not define what qualifies as a “woman” for eligibility purposes.
Following Freedom’s announcement, the Women’s National Basketball Players Association said in a statement : “We embrace justice equity, diversity, and inclusion. Those are the values that unite this Union and allow it to protect women’s sports while creating transformational change.”
“Hate, abuse, and demonization of any person or group of people, including transgender people, only fuel fear, division, and harm. We will continue to have hard conversations,” the group added in the Instagram post. “But we will not be used as political pawns.”
White said Saturday that the WNBA could end the controversy by clearly stating its policy on whether males are eligible to compete in women’s sports.
“I think the WNBA could come out and make a definitive statement about guys with a pair of balls playing in the Women’s Association,” he said, adding he will continue moving forward in his draft bid unless the league addresses the controversial issue.
In a memo obtained by the Associated Press, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert told teams that a discussion about the inclusion of trans athletes “will continue to receive significant attention.”
“I wanted to reach out to share how we are approaching these conversations at the league office and to thank those of you who have responded to questions from the media with thoughtfulness and professionalism,” she wrote Friday.
“We recognize that this is a complex and nuanced topic, and we will continue to have important conversations with all of you and the Players Association in the weeks and months ahead,” Engelbert continued. “We also plan to convene additional discussions and offer listening sessions for any team leaders who would like to participate. Your perspectives and feedback are invaluable, and I appreciate those who have already reached out to share their thoughts.”
White further claimed he could take legal action if he is not drafted or signed by a WNBA team.
“I have to file a discrimination lawsuit, right? I mean, that’s, that’s ridiculous,” he told Fox News. “We’re gonna have to have a huge legal battle about discrimination if I can’t play.”
White was selected 16th overall by the Houston Rockets in the 2012 NBA Draft out of Iowa State but never played for the team because of severe anxiety and a fear of flying.
Nowadays, he is running in Minnesota’s August 11 Republican primary for U.S. Senate. White previously ran as the Republican nominee against Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar in 2024 but lost the general election.
The debate over transgender athletes in the WNBA intensified last month after Cunningham, a guard for the Indiana Fever, criticized trans participation in women’s sports.
“I want to protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn’t have to go against biological men,” Cunningham told ESPN , later doubling down on her comments, claiming they were “common sense.”
The Independent has contacted the WNBA and WNBPA for comment.
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
AIPROPX is an independent multi-source news index — we track, compare, and connect coverage from across the web into one place you won't find anywhere else.