WNBA Stands on Eligibility of Trans Athletes Ambiguously, Owner Announces Decision
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The WNBA has still not clearly stated its position on trans athletes joining the league. Despite telling Enes Kanter and Royce White that they aren’t eligible to enter the WNBA Draft, they still haven’t explained just why they are ineligible, nor have they stated if any other trans athlete could be.
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Associated PressFreedom and Royce White, another former NBA player, have declared for the WNBA draft, saying they identify as women. But a person familiar with the decision told the AP on Monday that they are not eligible. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the situation.
The Daily WireESPN also reported that there are currently no cases requiring the WNBA to make an eligibility determination and that the league plans to continue researching and reviewing the issue. No known transgender woman has played in the WNBA.
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Owner Michael Alter made the announcement in a rare news conference on Tuesday. Alter told reporters Freedom is not allowed inside of Wintrust Arena for Sky games “unless sometime in the future, he’s able to prove to us that he’s able to abide by our rules without being a potential threat.”
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The Daily WireSky owner Michael Alter told local reporters on Tuesday that Freedom would not be allowed to attend the team’s games at Chicago’s Wintrust Arena unless he was first “able to prove to our satisfaction that he is able to abide by our rules without being a potential threat.”
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During a timeout late in the third quarter, Sky guard Natasha Cloud confronted Freedom, and Freedom took several steps toward the court before security intervened and escorted him from Wintrust Arena.
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Associated PressCloud, 34, started yelling and pointing at Freedom, 34, as she approached him. A standing Freedom held his arms out and stepped onto the court as security and a handful of Sky players moved in between the two.
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Freedom, who attended the game wearing a shirt reading “WOMAN. Noun. Adult human female,” claimed that he’d attended the game to support Indiana Fever shooting guard Sophie Cunningham, who’s been the target of protests since she declared her stance on defending biological females and girls in athletics. Sunday’s confrontation came after he raised both arms in celebration of a Cunningham three-pointer.
4 details only one outlet reported
Independent claims that didn't surface elsewhere in our corpus. Treat as supplementary — not corroborated across outlets.
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01 Associated Press Freedom was sitting along the baseline wearing a black shirt that read “WOMAN noun. adult human female.”
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02 The Daily Wire “I just got kicked out of a @WNBA game for supporting WOMEN!” Freedom wrote afterward. “Let that sink in, AMERICA!”
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03 Breitbart Gaetz said Monday that he is representing White, who has announced plans to seek a place in the WNBA in 2027.
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04 Washington Times The Big Ten became the first conference Tuesday to adopt a rule barring football players who have signed professional contracts from returning to play at its 18 member schools as college sports finds itself mired in lawsuits and chaotic disputes over eligibility.
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Sources (4)
- washtimes
- dailywire
- ap
- breitbart