WNBA faces controversy over transgender eligibility, ex-NBA players declare for WNBA Draft
The WNBA has found itself at the center of a storm of controversy amid questions over the league's approach to transgender players' eligibility.
On Friday, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert sent a memo outlining the league's response to the eligibility question, the same day two former NBA players said they would officially declare for the WNBA Draft, an apparent effort to force the league's hand.
The memo followed weeks of controversy after Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham gave a wide-ranging interview to ESPN, in which she said the WNBA should block biological males from participation.
What did the WNBA memo say about the league's policy?
In her Friday memo, Engelbert said she was aware many teams had been fielding questions over the league's eligibility guidelines in recent weeks, adding that she expected the issue to "continue to receive significant attention" in the coming days.
"I wanted to reach out to share how we are approaching these conversations at the league office and to thank those of you who have responded to questions from the media with thoughtfulness and professionalism," Engelbert reportedly wrote in the memo, which was obtained by The Associated Press and ESPN.
"We recognize that this is a complex and nuanced topic, and we will continue to have important conversations with all of you and the Players Association in the weeks and months ahead," she added.
The topic will be discussed further with a group of league leaders, including team presidents and general managers, at a previously scheduled meeting this week.
The memo also stated that the league's eligibility rules "are collectively bargained," unlike eligibility rules in "other leagues and governing bodies."
ABC News has reached out to the WNBA for comment.
What is the league's current eligibility rules?
The WNBA's current player eligibility guidelines, found in article XIII of the league's collective bargaining agreement, state that "only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA."
The CBA does not include specific rules about transgender players.
Which former NBA players declared for the WNBA Draft?
Two former NBA players have publicly declared their eligibility for the WNBA Draft in highly publicized announcements this week, seemingly designed to force the WNBA to more clearly define its eligibility requirements.
Enes Kanter Freedom, who played for teams including the Boston Celtics and Portland Trail Blazers over his 11-year career, declared his eligibility for the WNBA Draft in a social media post Friday.
"If simply declaring who you are is all that's required, then I meet every single requirement necessary to compete in the WNBA," he wrote.
Also on Friday, Royce White, a former NBA player and current Republican Senate candidate in Minnesota, spoke about stated his intention to join the WNBA Draft in a Fox News interview.
"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," White said.
What did Sophie Cunningham say about transgender players?
Discourse around the WNBA's gender policy reached new heights last month when Fever star Cunningham was quoted in an ESPN article saying, "I want to protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn't have to go against biological men."
Cunningham later doubled down on her remarks, telling reporters the day after the article was published, "I said what I said," according to the Athletic.
Following the article's publication, protesters attended the Fever's game in Seattle versus the Seattle Storm, with fans photographed at the game and in protests outside Climate Pledge Arena holding signs in support of and opposed to the remarks.
Storm co-owner Celeste Keaton allegedly confronted some of the fans at the arena who were holding signs in support of Cunningham, according to ESPN. Keaton was later fined and suspended from attending the team's next five home games, the league confirmed to ABC News.
The league did not cite the reason for Keaton's suspension, nor the amount of the fine.
What has the players union said about the controversy?
In a statement shared on social media last week, the WNBPA said "hate, abuse, and demonization of any person or group of people, including transgender people, only fuel fear, division, and harm," adding that it would "continue to have hard conversations," but refused to be "used as political pawns."
"The WNBPA represents 200+ individual people with different lived experiences, cultures, lifestyles, and opinions. We embrace justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. Those are the values that unite this Union and allow it to protect women's sports while creating transformational change," it said.
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