Cathy Engelbert responded to Republican lawmakers’ demand for the need to define the WNBA’s eligibility rules and stated Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White are both ineligible to play because they are “both men.”
“With respect to your questions regarding eligibility, only women are eligible to play in the WNBA and the individuals you cite in your letter are both men,” Engelbert wrote in a letter dated Oct. 16, per OutKick, which was provided the letter by America First Policy Institute, which represents Freedom.
The response was prompted after Indiana House representative Marlin Stutzman, among other Republicans, asked the league for a definition of its eligibility rules and to define “a woman” after the WNBA said both Freedom and White were not eligible to declare for the 2027 draft, despite their efforts to do so.
When speaking with the outlet, Stutzman said he viewed Engelbert’s response as “the first step in defining what a woman is for the sports community.”
“By clearly labeling Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White as men they have acknowledged that identifying as a woman does not change basic human biology,” he added.
Freedom has also since responded to Engelbert’s letter, saying the WNBA “still can’t define what a WOMAN is.”
“But they’re absolutely certain they know what a MAN is! How convenient!” he posted on X on Tuesday.
“WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert has declared that I am a man. Who gave her the authority to decide who I am? Who gets to define my identity?” he wrote. “And how can the WNBA determine who is a man without explaining what qualifies someone as a woman? Is the WNBA denying people the right to define their own gender identity? You can’t have it both ways! America, read this letter for yourselves. THE WNBA HAS SOME EXPLAINING TO DO!”
Freedom also told OutKick he felt “100 percent” misgendered by Engelbert.
The two former NBA players began to speak out, declaring for the 2027 draft while identifying as women, when debates around transgender athletes began to flood the league following ESPN’s feature on lightning rod Sophie Cunningham, in which the Fever star stated she wanted to “protect young girls.”
“I think that I am here to extend love. But I also think with that love is truth, being honest. And 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 said. “I’m very much in the middle. I agree with things on both sides, disagree with things on both sides. And that’s all I’ve ever said about my political beliefs. But people love to assume.”
The 30-year-old’s comments, which she has since doubled and tripled down on, sparked debate across the WNBA between players, coaches and fans.
Organized protests by fans also sparked at games and prompted the league to make a statement in early August.
“We embrace justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion,” the statement said. “Those are the values that unite this Union and allow it to protect women’s sports while creating transformational change. Hate, abuse, and demonization of any person or group of people, including transgender people, only fuel fear, division, and harm. We will continue to have hard conversations. But we will not be used as political pawns.”
