Two NBA Players Apply to WNBA
By John Banzhaf, Professor of Public Interest Law Emeritus, George Washington University Law School
Now that Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve has declared that transwomen can play basketball in the WNBA, and WNBA Golden State Valkyries forward Gabby Willliams has said, “I would welcome a trans athlete on my team,” former NBA Draft first round pick Enes Kanter Freedom (6-10, 250lb) has decided to see if the WNBA’s will actually follow what appear to be its own policies.
Apparently inspired by Freedom, former NBA player Royce White (6-8, 270lb) now also plans to declare for the 2027 WNBA Draft, saying: “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. . . . I’m declaring. And I don’t want to be discriminated against.” He says he would pursue legal action if he goes undrafted and is not signed to a WNBA team.
This same tactic might also help thousands of top high school volleyball players obtain athletic scholarships once they go on to college — opportunities now denied them for the same same reason some M2F transgender athletes soon will not be able to compete as females (they have a penis).
NBA star Freedom has posted that “After careful consideration and reviewing the current eligibility guidelines, I’m officially declaring myself a @WNBA prospect. If simply declaring who you are is all that’s required, then I meet every single requirement necessary to compete in the WNBA. . . . My team and I are prepared to ensure these guidelines are applied equally, consistently, and without exception, and I look forward to the WNBA honoring its stated principles. See you at training camp.”
To make his position clear, Freedom said “I am definitely not here to mock, make fun of, or disrespect any community or personal choices . . . I’m simply asking that the current rules be applied equally to everyone – the rules that represent the very values many WNBA players and coaches have publicly advocated for.”
In support of his position, he cites the example of Lia Thomas at UPenn. When going by the name Will Thomas, he spent three seasons on the men’s team before transitioning to the female team and division.
There is also 6′ 3″ French trans basketball player Julie Tetart, who was the scoring and rebounding leader in France’s Ligue 2 during the 2025-26 season and has said: “If they contact me, I won’t say no.”