Royce White Declares for 2027 WNBA Draft, Says He Identifies as Transgender to Play

Former NBA first-round pick Royce White announced Friday that he intends to declare for the 2027 WNBA Draft, saying he now identifies as transgender for the purpose of playing professional basketball. The announcement came just hours after fellow ex-NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom made a nearly identical declaration, thrusting both men into the national debate over transgender eligibility in women’s sports.

White, the No. 16 overall pick by the Houston Rockets in the 2012 NBA Draft out of Iowa State, told Fox News Digital he believes he would be “unstoppable” in the WNBA and said he is prepared to pursue legal action if he is denied a chance to play. The 6-foot-8 forward, who is also a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Minnesota, framed the move as a direct challenge to the league to spell out its eligibility rules for transgender athletes.

What White and Kanter Freedom Are Actually Claiming

Speaking to Fox News, White said, “I’m transgender. I’m a woman. I identify as sometimes identifying as a woman for the purpose of basketball, professional basketball, so I’ll be declaring for the WNBA draft in 2027 as well.” He said the goal is to force the league to clarify what standard it uses to determine eligibility, stating, “I’d like to know what the parameters are.” White said he first floated the plan in an Aug. 4 post on X, days before Kanter Freedom’s own announcement.

Kanter Freedom, the third overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft and an 11-year NBA veteran at 6-foot-10, posted a video on X stating that after “reviewing the current eligibility guidelines,” he was “officially declaring myself a WNBA prospect” for the draft, which he referenced as coming in 2027. He said his team had “carefully examined the WNBA’s eligibility criteria and governing framework surrounding self-identification and inclusion” and argued that if self-identification is sufficient, he meets the league’s requirements. Kanter Freedom added that he was not trying to “mock, make fun of, or disrespect any community or personal choices,” but wanted the league’s stated principles “applied equally, consistently, and without exception.”

The WNBA’s Rules Don’t Actually Address This

Both declarations hinge on a gap in the WNBA’s governing documents. Article XIII, Section 1(a) of the league’s 2026 collective bargaining agreement states only that “only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA.” The 409-page agreement does not define “woman,” does not reference gender identity, and does not establish whether self-identification alone would satisfy that eligibility requirement. The WNBA has not issued a public response to either declaration, and no formal process exists for a transgender or self-identified applicant to seek entry into the draft pool.

A public declaration by either player does not place them in the 2027 draft pool by itself, nor does it guarantee a roster spot or even an invitation to try out. Draft eligibility rules also require domestic players to turn 22 during the draft year or have exhausted college eligibility, a threshold both men clear given their ages. No biological male has ever played in WNBA history.

A Career Derailed by Anxiety, Now a Political Flashpoint

White’s NBA career never got off the ground in Houston. Despite being viewed as a supremely talented, ball-handling big man out of Iowa State, his rookie season with the Rockets was upended by publicly documented struggles with generalized anxiety disorder and a fear of flying, which led to a standoff with the team over travel accommodations. He never appeared in a game for Houston, was traded to Philadelphia in 2013 and waived that October, then played three scoreless games for the Sacramento Kings in 2014 before his NBA career ended. He later played briefly in the G League and spent several seasons with the London Lightning of Canada’s NBL, winning a championship and an MVP award before pursuing other ventures, including politics and combat sports.

The dual declarations from White and Kanter Freedom land at a moment when transgender participation in women’s sports remains one of the most contested issues in American sports and politics, with state legislatures, the NCAA, and other governing bodies all having taken varying positions in the past two years. Neither player has filed any known legal action to date, and the WNBA’s 2027 draft remains months away, but the pressure on the league to issue a formal eligibility policy is likely to intensify as the story continues to draw national attention.