In separate statements made recently, two former professional men’s basketball players have declared their eligibility and intent to play in the WNBA, claiming to be transgender. The writer of this article uses the word ‘claiming,’ because neither individual appears to be sincere in their remarks, though Enes Kanter Freedom has stated that he does not intend to mock or disrespect anyone. In his matching statement, former Sacramento King Royce White claimed, “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.”
Royce White, after retiring from men’s professional basketball, has had a sordid career as a politician, running as a populist Republican candidate in Minnesota’s Fifth Congressional District in the 2026 primary but coming in third place. In his NBA career, White was drafted sixteenth overall but failed to score a single point, before finding success in Canada’s NBL. He has not played organized basketball since 2018.
Enes Kanter Freedom is a Turkish born Center who has not played professional basketball since 2022. In his final season, Freedom played in less than half of the games and put up very pedestrian stats compared with the rest of his career. Since retiring from the sport, he has had brief stints in professional wrestling, as well been named as “one of the leading pro-Israel influencers online,” by The Jerusalem Post.
This is far from the first time insensitive and inflammatory comments have been directed at the trans community via the WNBA platform. Throughout her career in the women’s league, Sophie Cunningham has repeatedly made remarks, backtracked, only to follow up with more transphobic and exclusionary statements later. The WNBA has stated that it will review the language of its rulebook regarding trans inclusion, and has issued a statement defending justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion; and also condemning hate, abuse, and demonization.
Regardless of how you feel about professional sports, the statements made by Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White reach beyond the sport itself to attack the trans community. For two people who have long since stepped away from the game to crack wise at the expense of any group of people is unsportsmanlike, sophomoric, demeaning to the league and its players and supporters, and is deeply unbecoming of elected office.
Taken at face value, the remarks made are a transphobic dogwhistle, and should be recanted in both cases, with apologies to the trans community and the WNBA. That would be a good start toward redressing the harm caused by statements such as those made by Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White.
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