Enes Kanter sat with the fans on Sunday at a WNBA game and, as it turns out, that’s as close as either he or other WNBA hopeful Royce White is going to get.
According to Front Office Sports’ Colin Salao, the WNBA has ruled both White and Kanter ineligible to play.
“Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White are not eligible to play in the WNBA, league sources tell Front Office Sports,” Salao reported.
In addition, the league characterized Kanter’s antics as “publicity stunts”. It said that it is “not going to give oxygen to efforts designed to mock the league or use this topic to demean and marginalize others.”
The league added that it “will not allow outside pressure or manufactured controversy to dictate league processes.”
Multiple outlets reported the news as the WNBA made its stance on male inclusion clear. The statement does not contain the all-important explanation for why they have excluded White and Kanter.
Are they barred from the draft because they’re men? That would obviously be the correct and sensible conclusion. However, what does that mean for the WNBA’s stance on transgender issues? Does it acknowledge that men hold distinct physical advantages over women that would make trans inclusion unfair? Does it deny a man’s ability to identify himself as female and live his “truth”
And if so, does the league no longer support trans rights?
Kanter’s efforts to join the league became the focus on Sunday as he was singled out for an angry tongue -lashing from Chicago Sky guard Natasha Cloud. Kanter then stood with his arms extended, jawing back at the enraged player before security escorted him out.
“And I was like, ‘I am not trying to sleep with her. I’m just here to protect women and support her.’ And then, obviously, after that, she started yapping, and she started to walk towards me, and literally I just got up, and then I was like, ‘I’m just here to protect women, and that’s all.’”