Cheryl Miller has little interest in entertaining Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White’s attempts to enter the WNBA conversation.
The Basketball Hall of Famer delivered a blunt response after the two former NBA players announced plans involving the 2027 WNBA Draft amid a broader debate over transgender participation in women’s sports.
TMZ Sports caught up with Miller at Los Angeles International Airport on Tuesday. In the new interview, she described the attention surrounding Kanter Freedom and White as “horrible energy” and questioned why two people outside the league were suddenly trying to insert themselves into the conversation.
Miller said she previously would have welcomed either former NBA player courtside at a WNBA game. Miller said the subject will need serious discussion, urged “cooler heads” to prevail and argued that the league should work through the issue collectively during the offseason.
Miller Says the Pair Are Bringing ‘Horrible Energy’
Kanter Freedom and White have each announced plans involving the 2027 WNBA Draft as they challenge the league over its eligibility rules. Kanter Freedom went a step further on August 10, saying he had formally submitted a written declaration to the WNBA and insisting that his effort should not be dismissed as a joke.
White has publicly said that he intends to declare for the same draft. Miller was considerably less interested in debating their individual arguments. “It’s horrible energy,” she told TMZ Sports before questioning why the two had suddenly become so involved in the WNBA.
Miller said she would previously have welcomed them to attend games as spectators, but reacted differently to their draft announcements. “Man, shut that noise up,” she said. She instead pointed to the WNBA’s remaining regular-season games and the battle for playoff positioning as the basketball conversation she would rather be having.
Their Declarations Do Not Establish WNBA Eligibility
Kanter Freedom and White have framed their announcements as challenges to the wording of the WNBA’s current rules, but announcing an intention to enter the draft does not itself establish that either is eligible.
The league’s 2026 collective bargaining agreement states that “only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA.” As The Associated Press reported, however, the agreement does not contain more specific public language addressing gender identity or sex assigned at birth. The WNBA has not publicly determined that Kanter Freedom or White qualifies for the 2027 Draft under that language.
The WNBA Is Taking the Eligibility Question to a Task Force
WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert told teams that transgender athlete participation would be addressed by a previously scheduled task force involving team presidents and general managers, according to The Associated Press.
Engelbert emphasized that the league’s player-eligibility rules are collectively bargained with the Women’s National Basketball Players Association rather than determined unilaterally by the league. She also said preserving the integrity of the game and ensuring fair competition remain among the WNBA’s highest priorities.
The commissioner described transgender participation as a complex subject and said discussions with teams and the Players Association would continue, including additional listening sessions for team leaders.
The Players’ Union Says It Won’t Be Used as a ‘Political Pawn’
The Women’s National Basketball Players Association has also entered the discussion. In an official statement, the union noted that it represents more than 200 players with different backgrounds, experiences and opinions before reaffirming its commitment to justice, equity, diversity and inclusion.
The WNBPA said transgender people should not be subjected to hate, abuse or demonization as the debate continues. “We will continue to have hard conversations,” the union said. “But we will not be used as political pawns.”