Former NBA player Royce White has announced that he is transgender and says he intends to declare for the 2027 WNBA Draft.
White made the announcement during a Friday interview with Fox News, saying he identifies as a transgender woman for the purpose of pursuing a professional basketball career.
White played three official NBA games for the Sacramento Kings during the 2013–14 season and is currently a Republican candidate for the US Senate.
He said his decision was motivated by a desire for what he described as fair treatment and an opportunity to compete under the league’s eligibility rules.
White’s announcement came shortly after former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom also said he planned to declare for the 2027 WNBA Draft.
The issue has sparked debate over eligibility requirements in women’s professional basketball. The WNBA’s 2026 collective bargaining agreement states that only players who are women are eligible to play in the league, although the provision does not further define the term.
Kanter Freedom said his announcement was not intended to mock or disrespect transgender people, but rather to question whether the league’s existing rules should be applied equally.
The debate over transgender participation in women’s sports has also drawn comments from players and their representative organisations, with the Women’s National Basketball Players Association saying it supports justice, equity, diversity and inclusion while rejecting hostility or demonisation of transgender people.
The WNBPA added that it would continue to engage in discussions surrounding the issue but would not allow its members to be used as “political pawns.”