Key Takeaways
- Royce White says his plan to declare for the 2027 WNBA Draft is not a political stunt, calling himself a potential “number one pick” who would make the league “much more entertaining” and vowing to “go all the way” even if it means a major legal battle over eligibility rules that state only women can play.
- White, a former NBA first-rounder and current Minnesota U.S. Senate candidate, admits he has not yet filed WNBA paperwork as his legal team explores options, insists his declaration is separate from his conservative politics, and says that his “transition cured” his fear of flying.
- His return to the spotlight comes amid WNBA discussions on transgender eligibility and follows a Minnesota judge’s protection order that found he repeatedly abused his ex-wife and teenage son, barring him from contacting her for 50 years and his son for two years.
Royce White says his plan to declare for the 2027 WNBA Draft isn't a political stunt—and he's prepared to take the fight to court if the league tries to stop him. The Minnesota U.S. Senate candidate announced his intentions alongside former NBA center Enes Kanter Freedom amid an intensifying debate over transgender eligibility in women's sports.
Now White says he's committed to seeing the process through. “You’ve known me for a while, and you know I’m the type of guy that pushes things all the way,” he told Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson. “We’re going all the way.”
There is one significant catch: White acknowledged that he hasn't formally filed paperwork with the WNBA yet. He said his legal team is examining its options and predicted his attempt to enter the league could eventually produce a major court fight.
“I think it’s going to end up being a huge legal battle, to be honest, and probably a necessary one,” White said.
He also declared himself a potential “number one pick” and argued his presence would make the league “much more entertaining.”
White’s and Kanter Freedom's declarations have pushed an existing eligibility question directly into the WNBA's lap. The league's collective bargaining agreement states that “only players who are women are eligible to play,” but does not provide a detailed public framework defining transgender eligibility.
Commissioner Cathy Engelbert has said the league will continue discussing the issue, while a group of team executives has reportedly been assembled to discuss transgender participation. Any changes involving player eligibility would also involve the WNBPA through collective bargaining.
White, meanwhile, rejected the idea that his announcement was purely a campaign strategy despite his ongoing campaign for U.S. Senate. “I’ve been driving the conversation on conservative culture policy for about five years now,” he said.
As for WNBA players, White hasn't heard much from them either—but expects that to change. “I’m sure I’ll be getting people trying to recruit me,” he said. White additionally invoked his alleged transgender identity while discussing his previously documented fear of flying, claiming his “transition cured” it.
It's an unexpected return to the basketball spotlight for a player whose NBA career barely got started. Houston selected White No. 16 overall out of Iowa State in the 2012 NBA Draft, but he never played for the Rockets following a lengthy dispute over accommodations related to his anxiety disorder and fear of flying.
White eventually appeared in three games for the Sacramento Kings in 2014 and later played professionally outside the NBA. He subsequently entered politics and was the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in Minnesota in 2024 before launching another Senate campaign.
White's renewed national profile comes just months after a Minnesota judge made serious findings about his treatment of his family. In a protection order filed in April, the judge found that White repeatedly abused his ex-wife and also abused their teenage son, including grabbing the boy by the neck and throwing him into a metal ball rack during basketball practice. The court barred White from contacting his ex-wife for 50 years and his son for two years.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, help is available. Contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or visit thehotline.org for confidential support.
