Ex-NBA Players Blocked
PUBLISHED Aug 25, 2026, 4:38 AM ET
Former National Basketball Association players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White have been officially ruled ineligible for the Women's National Basketball Association draft following their public declarations to enter. A source confirmed the administrative decision to the Associated Press. The ruling follows an incident during a game between the Indiana Fever and the Chicago Sky, where Freedom sat courtside wearing a shirt displaying a definition of the word woman. Freedom was confronted by Chicago Sky guard Natasha Cloud and removed from the arena by security personnel. The WNBA has not publicly elaborated on the precise administrative rationale behind the eligibility ruling for Freedom and White. Both athletes previously competed extensively in the NBA before exiting the league. The decision effectively prevents the former players from participating in the upcoming draft process, concluding their public efforts to enter the professional women's basketball league amidst ongoing sports policy debates.
By Michael Grant | JQJO News
- Articles Published:
- 31
- Right Leaning:
- 4
- Left Leaning:
- 5
- Neutral:
- 22
- Distribution:
- Left 16%, Center 71%, Right 13%
Left: Framing focused on athletic integrity and protection from political stunts. Center: Framing emphasized administrative league rules and factual reporting of decisions. Right: Framing highlighted free speech debates and controversial courtside protests.
Associated Press reported league draft eligibility ruling on August 20, 2026. https://apnews.com/article/enes-kanter-freedom-royce-white-draft-ineligible-dcdafa651239aa827b5084931a28a3f8
Coverage of Story:
From Left
WNBA rules former NBA players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White ineligible for draft
CNN The Washington Post Los Angeles Times The Daily Beast SlateFrom Center
Ex-NBA Players Blocked
Associated Press Associated Press ESPN The Athletic Reuters Yahoo Sports USA Today NBC Sports CBS Sports Sports Illustrated Bleacher Report The Wall Street Journal The Hill The Seattle Times Chicago Tribune The Boston Globe Philadelphia Inquirer Miami Herald Dallas Morning News San Francisco Chronicle Denver Post The Detroit NewsFrom Right
Enes Kanter Freedom, Royce White blocked from entering WNBA draft
Fox News New York Post National Review Washington Examiner
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