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What are the WNBA eligibility rules? Task Force fails to define ‘woman’ after Enes Kanter Freedom’s draft declaration
WNBA eligibility remains unclear after Enes Kanter Freedom’s 2027 draft declaration and a task force meeting produced no new rules.
The WNBA has not added new rules defining who qualifies as a woman after a league task force met to discuss transgender athlete eligibility. The group discussed the issue on Wednesday but did not agree on new eligibility rules, ESPN reported. The league said there are “no immediate eligibility matters affecting the WNBA” and rejected “bad-faith efforts” to demean or marginalize people. The question gained attention after former NBA players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White said they plan to enter the 2027 WNBA Draft. For now, the league’s existing eligibility language remains officially unchanged.
What are the WNBA eligibility rules for women?
The WNBA’s current Collective Bargaining Agreement says: “Only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA.” However, the agreement does not separately define “woman” in its player eligibility section.
Domestic players must turn 22 during the draft year and meet the league’s college or high-school timing rules. They must have no remaining college eligibility, or give it up. International players must turn 20 during the draft year and meet the league’s definition of an international player.
Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White’s 2027 WNBA Draft plans
The issue drew wider attention after Freedom and White said they would declare for the 2027 WNBA Draft. Freedom argued that the league’s wording leaves room for his challenge.
Freedom said: “If simply declaring who you are is all that’s required, then I meet every single requirement necessary to compete in the WNBA.”
He later criticised the league’s task force meeting, saying: “The Commissioner of the WNBA [Cathy Engelbert] messaged every GM, and they’re still trying to figure out what a woman is. And they’re actually having a meeting this week. It’s been around for 30 years. So, think about how disrespectful that statement was to all the players who actually played in their league, in their history.”
White has also said he plans to pursue the 2027 draft, adding another challenge to the league’s wording.
What did the WNBA task force decide on eligibility?
The task force did not create or approve a new transgender eligibility policy. It said the meeting covered “a wide range of topics,” including transgender athletes and online hate.
It said: “There are no immediate eligibility matters affecting the WNBA and we strongly denounce the bad-faith efforts to use these topics to demean or marginalize others.”
The WNBA said discussions will continue in the coming weeks and months. For now, the existing rule remains in place, while the league has not added a more detailed definition to settle the question.
