Why Royce White plans to enter the 2027 WNBA Draft? What his transgender announcement means for eligibility
Royce White has announced plans to enter the 2027 WNBA Draft, saying he identifies as transgender for professional basketball. White, who played three NBA games for the Sacramento Kings during the 2013-14 season, said he would declare for the WNBA Draft in 2027. “I identify as sometimes identifying as a woman for purposes of professional basketball, so I will be declaring for the WNBA draft in 2027 as well. For now, White has announced his intention to enter the 2027 draft.
The former NBA player made the announcement in a Friday interview with Fox News, shortly after Enes Kanter Freedom also said he would enter the draft. White said he wants fair treatment and does not want to face discrimination if he tries to join the league. “I’m transgender,” White told Fox News. White also said he wants to be treated fairly as a transgender woman athlete. Freedom said he had reviewed the WNBA’s eligibility rules and was asking for those rules to be applied equally. He said he was not trying to mock or disrespect transgender people. The union said it supports “justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion” and warned against hate, abuse and attacks on transgender people.
His announcement adds another former NBA player to the debate. He is also a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate. His announcement came shortly after former NBA center Enes Kanter Freedom made a similar declaration. The WNBA Players Association then addressed the wider debate without naming Cunningham, White or Freedom. White’s announcement now puts another former NBA player into a debate that has moved beyond basketball and into politics. His plan is also different from simply asking whether transgender athletes should be allowed in the WNBA. He is specifically saying he plans to declare for the draft and wants the league to explain how its current eligibility wording applies to him. That does not mean he will be selected or play in the WNBA. The league’s response to his planned declaration will likely determine what happens next.