The WNBA Draft Circus: Why the League's Hard Line is the Only Sane Move
AI-generated image · Bay Street Wire
Former NBA players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White tried to crash the WNBA draft, but the league isn't buying the act.
Q: What is the current status of Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White regarding the WNBA draft?
A: According to reporting from The Associated Press, via Sportsnet and CityNews Toronto, both former NBA players are ineligible for the WNBA draft. A source familiar with the decision spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, though the source did not provide specific reasons for the ineligibility.
Q: Why did these two men attempt to enter a women's professional league?
A: As reported by The Associated Press, Freedom and White declared their intention to enter next year's draft after stating they identified as women. This attempt comes amidst broader debates regarding whether transgender women should be permitted to play in the WNBA, a league that has never had such a player. While the WNBA's collective bargaining agreement stipulates the league is restricted to women, The Associated Press notes the agreement lacks specific language regarding sex assigned at birth or gender identity.
Q: Who are the individuals involved in this bid for eligibility?
A: The two men are former NBA players. Enes Kanter Freedom is 6-foot-10, weighs 250 pounds, and played 11 seasons in the NBA. White's NBA career consisted of three games.
Q: Was there a physical confrontation involving Enes Kanter Freedom at a recent game?
A: Yes. Sportsnet and CityNews Toronto report that Freedom was ejected from a Sunday night game between the Indiana Fever and the Chicago Sky. Freedom was wearing a black shirt that defined a woman as an "adult human female" while sitting along the baseline. After the Fever called a timeout, Sky guard Natasha Cloud, 34, approached Freedom, yelling and pointing. Security and Sky players intervened as Freedom took a step onto the court. Freedom was eventually escorted from Wintrust Arena after speaking with police officers.
Q: How did the participants react to the ejection?
A: On social media Sunday night, Freedom posted: "I just got kicked out of a @WNBA game for supporting WOMEN! Let that sink in, AMERICA!" According to The Associated Press, Natasha Cloud met with league and team security following the incident but did not speak with the media.
Q: What is the connection between this incident and the wider debate over transgender participation in the league?
A: The Associated Press reports that the WNBA has been embroiled in debates over transgender participation following an ESPN profile of Fever guard Sophie Cunningham. In that profile, Cunningham stated she opposed transgender women and girls competing in women's sports. Before the game in question, Freedom participated in a small rally to support Cunningham.