WNBA REPONDS TO REP. STUTZMAN’S INQUIRY BY CALLING ENES FREEDOM AND ROYCE WHITE “MEN”

WASHINGTON, DC - In a letter last month to WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, Congressman Marlin Stutzman (IN-03) asked, "If the WNBA has no definition of "women" why were Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White deemed ineligible to join the WNBA?"

In a stunning admission, Commissioner Engelbert replied by saying, "With respect to your questions regarding eligibility, only women are eligible to play in the WNBA and the individuals you cite in your letter are both men."

See for yourself here:

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This is the WNBA admitting that despite both Freedom and White declaring themselves women, the league does not honor their chosen gender. By announcing that Freedom and White are "both men," the WNBA has taken a step towards deciding what a woman could be referring to in their bylaws but still fall dramatically short of a true definition. The WNBA also still has no publicly available policy governing eligibility of transgender of athletes.

"The WNBA has just taken the first step in defining what a woman is for the sports community," said Congressman Stutzman. "By clearly labeling Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White as "men" they have acknowledged that identifying as a woman does not change basic human biology. While this is a step in the right direction, the glaring disrespect the WNBA still has for their fans and our national anthem needs to be corrected."

"I want to thank Congressman Stutzman for his leadership and efforts in securing an official response from WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert. The Commissioner's response raises serious questions about who has the authority to define a person's identity and what standards the WNBA uses to determine who qualifies as a woman. The American people deserve clear answers, and the WNBA has some explaining to do," said Enes Kanter Freedom.