Former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) warned the WNBA to prepare for possible legal action after reports that former NBA players Royce White and Enes Kanter Freedom will not be allowed to enter the league’s draft.
Gaetz said Monday that he is representing White, who has announced plans to seek a place in the WNBA in 2027.
Gaetz’s warning came after multiple sources told ESPN that neither White nor Freedom qualifies to play in the WNBA. The league has not publicly announced a decision regarding either player.
White appeared in a video attached to Gaetz’s post wearing a wig and accusing the league of rejecting his “trans existence.”
He has used his campaign to criticize transgender ideology and the rules governing participation in women’s sports.
“To continue to deny black transgender lesbians is tantamount to genocide,” White said on the
The Charlie Kirk Show earlier this month.
Freedom has also announced plans to enter the 2027 WNBA Draft. He was removed from Sunday’s game between the Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever after wearing a shirt that read, “WOMAN noun. adult human female.”
The former NBA center said the league’s existing policies do not clearly prevent him from competing.
“If they don’t come up with a rule, then I am ready and prepared to play in May and just get ready for the draft in April,” Freedom told Fox News. “These are the rules that literally they put, so I’m just literally following their rules.”
WNBA officials recently discussed the matter but reportedly determined that the league faced “no immediate eligibility matters.”
The league’s 2026 collective bargaining agreement states that “only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA.” However, the agreement does not include a definition of “woman.”
The issue drew mixed reactions online, with some users accusing the WNBA of applying its rules selectively and predicting a costly settlement, while others mocked Gaetz’s involvement.