WNBA
We Won’t Define Women, But We’re Sure Enes & Royce Are Men
Published
The WNBA is drawing a line in the sand — kind of … because while the league insists that Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White can’t play in the league because they’re men, the WNBA still hasn’t defined what a woman is.
Here’s the deal … WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert wrote a letter to Republican lawmakers on October 16, saying the two former NBA players can’t play in the WNBA because they’re “both men.”
However, Engelbert — who is resigning from her position at the end of the year — didn’t define what a woman is … instead simply saying Enes and Royce don’t qualify.
The 2026 WNBA collective bargaining agreement states simply, “Only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA” … so Enes and Royce said they both planned to challenge the league by identifying as women for the purposes of playing basketball.
Rep. Marlin Stutzman of Indiana called this a victory … claiming it is “the first step in defining what a woman is for the sports community” because 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.”
Enes expressed indignation at Engelbert’s letter … telling Outkick he finds it shocking that the league won’t clearly define what a woman is even though the WNBA is 100% sure he’s a man.
The WNBA Finals between the Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries is tied 1-1 … and the drama off the court’s clearly heating up, too.
