Entertainment
Nancy Hogshead launches petition advocating for strict biological female eligibility rules in WNBA
The petition comes after two former NBA players announced plans to enter the 2027 WNBA Draft, which league sources called publicity stunts.
The short version
- Olympic swimming champion Nancy Hogshead launched a petition asking the WNBA to explicitly restrict player eligibility to biological females.
- The WNBA's 2026 collective bargaining agreement mandates that players must be women but does not explicitly define the term or address gender identity.
- Former NBA players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White recently announced intentions to enter the 2027 draft while identifying as women, though league sources stated neither is eligible.
- The WNBA previously noted no immediate eligibility issues affect the league and denounced bad-faith efforts to marginalize individuals.
Key facts
- Nancy Hogshead launched a Change.org petition on August 14 asking the WNBA to restrict player eligibility to biological females.[Fox News]
- The petition collected over 11,000 signatures toward a goal of 100,000.[Fox News]
- The WNBA's 2026 collective bargaining agreement states that only players who are women are eligible to play, without further defining the term.[Fox News]
- Former NBA players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White announced plans to enter the 2027 WNBA Draft while identifying as women.[Fox News]
- WNBA sources stated that neither Freedom nor White is eligible to enter the draft and characterized their announcements as publicity stunts.[Fox News]
What remains uncertain
- It remains unconfirmed whether the WNBA will revise its policy definitions during future discussions with the players' union.[Fox News]