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WNBA Commissioner Responds to Republican Request to Define ‘Women’ In Enes Kanter Freedom, Royce White Dispute

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert answered a request from Indiana Rep. Marlin Stutzman and other Republicans asking the league to define who qualifies as a “woman.” In a letter dated Oct.

16, Engelbert said only women are eligible to play in the WNBA and identified former NBA players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White, who announced plans to enter the 2027 draft as women, as men. The response did not elaborate on any specific transgender‑athlete policy.

Stutzman praised the reply as a first step toward a clear definition, arguing that biological women should be protected from competing against biological men. Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham, who has publicly opposed transgender women in women’s sports, was cited in the lawmakers’ letter as supporting the view that opening eligibility could create safety and fairness concerns.

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Ene Kanter Freedom reacts to WNBA’s decision on men trying to join the league