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Royce White, a former NBA player and Iowa State basketball standout, has formally submitted his declaration to compete in the 2027 WNBA Draft. The declaration, signed Monday and filed with WNBA League offices, was processed through his legal representative, former U.S. Congressman Matt Gaetz, according to documentation reviewed by Fox News Digital.
The filing asserts White’s eligibility under Article XIII, Section 1(a) of the 2026-2033 Collective Bargaining Agreement between the WNBA and the players union. Gaetz’s submission states that “as of the signing of the attached declaration, Ms. White identifies as a transgender woman” and confirms her satisfaction of age and eligibility requirements for draft participation.
White made the announcement public in an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital on August 7, hours after fellow former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom declared his own intent to enter the same draft. “I’m transgender. I’m a woman,” White stated, adding that he would declare “as a sometimes-identifying-as-a-transgender-woman athlete” pursuing a professional basketball career.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, White said: “FBA Trans Lesbians matter and we have a right to exist. We have a right to be included and follow our dreams. Thank you to all the Americans that are supporting me, it does not go unnoticed.” White suggested he would pursue legal action if rejected by the league, characterizing potential non-selection as discriminatory.
White’s professional basketball resume includes nine minutes played across three games for the Sacramento Kings without scoring. His college career at Iowa State proved considerably more successful, as he led the Cyclones in points, rebounds, assists, blocks, and steals during the 2011-12 season while earning All-Big 12 First Team honors before being selected 16th overall in the 2012 NBA Draft.
White was mounting a bid for U.S. Senate in Minnesota at the time of his announcement. He lost his primary election on August 11 to former broadcaster Michele Tafoya, following an earlier 2024 general election loss to incumbent Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar after winning the Republican nomination.
The dual declarations by White and Freedom have escalated cultural tensions surrounding transgender participation in women’s professional sports. Indiana Fever player Sophie Cunningham’s July statement supporting exclusion of biological males from women’s athletics sparked organized rallies at team venues, with pro-transgender counterdemonstrators also mobilizing at games since the All-Star break.
Additional rallies backing Cunningham’s position are scheduled for Thursday in Dallas ahead of the Fever’s matchup against the Wings and Saturday in New York City before the Fever plays the Liberty. The WNBA has not yet publicly responded to White’s draft declaration.
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