WNBA Says Enes Kanter Freedom, Royce White Can't Play Because They're 'Both Men'

The WNBA is drawing a line in the sand -- kind of ... because while the league insists that Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White can't play in the league because they're men, the WNBA still hasn't defined what a woman is.

Here's the deal ... WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert wrote a letter to Republican lawmakers on October 16, saying the two former NBA players can't play in the WNBA because they're "both men."

However, Engelbert -- who is resigning from her position at the end of the year -- didn't define what a woman is ... instead simply saying Enes and Royce don't qualify.

The 2026 WNBA collective bargaining agreement states simply, "Only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA" ... so Enes and Royce said they both planned to challenge the league by identifying as women for the purposes of playing basketball.

Rep. Marlin Stutzman of Indiana called this a victory ... claiming it is "the first step in defining what a woman is for the sports community" because 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."

Enes expressed indignation at Engelbert's letter ... telling Outkick he finds it shocking that the league won't clearly define what a woman is even though the WNBA is 100% sure he's a man.