What's Going On With The WNBA
Here's the letter Enes Kanter sent to WNBA asking to enter player pool for 2027 draft originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Enes Kanter Freedom is one of two former NBA players who made news recently as they try to argue for eligibility in the WNBA.
Freedom announced on Aug. 7 that he plans to submit his name to the player pool for the 2027 WNBA Draft. The former center spent 11 years in the NBA, playing for five different teams and last suiting up for the Boston Celtics during the 2021-22 season.
Freedom's plea is the latest entry into the WNBA controversy surrounding the rights of transgender athletes in women's sports. Freedom claims that, based on the rules that the WNBA and WNBA players are promoting, he can play in the league.
Clearly, Freedom is serious enough to at least send a letter to the WNBA stating his eligibility. Freedom revealed his letter on social media on Monday.
Here's Freedom's argument towards entering the WNBA.
MORE:Why Sophie Cunningham doubled down on transgender athlete stance
Enes Kanter Fredom letter to WNBAFreedom pledged to express his desire to enter the WNBA Draft, and he followed through with that by sending the league a letter on August 6th to enter the player pool. Freedom claims that he fits the criteria of eligibility by being over the age of 22 with no remaining intercollegiate eligibility.
Here's a look at the entire letter:
#LetFreedomPlay - @WNBApic.twitter.com/5CGa2H5iMV
— Enes Kanter FREEDOM (@EnesFreedom) August 10, 2026MORE: What WNBA rulebook says about Ener Freedom's WNBA eligibility
Can Enes Kanter Freedom play in the WNBA?Freedom claims he is eligible to play in the WNBA based on the league's rules towards transgender athletes, arguing that he meets "every single requirement necessary to compete in the WNBA." Despite his pleas, though, Freedom remains ineligible to play in the WNBA based on what is written in the CBA.
The league's Collective Bargaining Agreement states that "only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA." Therefore, it is highly unlikely the WNBA will grant Freedom's wish of him entering the player pool for the 2027 WNBA Draft.
WNBA gender eligibility rulesArticle 13, Section 1 of the WNBA's CBA says that "only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA." However, there are no specific rules regarding transgender athletes one way or another, which is standard across women's sports leagues in the United States.
Layshia Clarendon was the first and only transgender or nonbinary athlete to play in the WNBA in league history. They officially came out as nonbinary in 2020, when Clarendon was already in their eighth season in the WNBA.
Cowboys' Dez Bryant has blunt response to Royce White's bid to join WNBA originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Royce White wants a spot in the WNBA, and he's not being subtle about it. The former NBA player recently announced his intention to enter the 2027 WNBA Draft, declaring that he identifies as a transgender woman specifically for professional basketball purposes, then posted a photo wearing a blonde wig online to drive the point home.
The stunt drew immediate reaction from across the sports world, including from one Dallas Cowboys legend who made his feelings clear in the most concise way possible.
Dez Bryant laughs off Royce White's WNBA declarationBryant responded to White's provocative wig photo on X with a string of laughing emojis, apparently finding little to take seriously in the spectacle. The reaction came as White, who is simultaneously running as the Republican candidate for United States Senate in Minnesota, continued pushing a bid that has raised real questions about where league policy actually stands.
White's basketball credentials make the whole thing harder to dismiss outright, even if his motives are transparent. The 2012 first-round pick played just three career NBA games, with documented anxiety issues cutting his professional career short. Now he framed his gender declaration as a direct challenge to WNBA eligibility rules.
White escalated his publicity stunt by sharing his wig photo on social media. He called the image his feminine era glow. The post included specific language designed to bait his critics and generate viral engagement online. He asked if failing to praise him makes someone transphobic.
“I just want to play some hoops with my fellow ladies,” White wrote. He previously stated he would put his team first if drafted. The former basketball player insists his inclusion would boost league ratings and interest significantly. He believes his dominant size would make him unstoppable on the court.
White follows Enes Kanter Freedom in making this bizarre declaration. White even previously threatened legal action if the league blocked his entry.
White clearly aims to force a policy clarification through his theatrical actions. The WNBA must address its ambiguous language regarding transgender eligibility soon. His Senate campaign continues to intertwine with these bizarre sports declarations. The league faces intense pressure from multiple angles regarding its future roster construction rules. Legal challenges appear inevitable as the debate escalates further.
More NFL news:Christian Parker 'not a fan' of Jerry Jones' desire to stir Cowboys soap operaTony Romo’s job at CBS called into question amid ‘uncontrollable’ concernsDak Prescott sends urgent message after learning ex-Cowboys star lost nearly $80 millionBrian Schottenheimer reveals why he delivered expletive-laden scolding with families watchingTroy Aikman confesses about his "ridiculous" daily routine to protect brain after surviving 10 career concussionsThe Indiana Fever are adding to their depth in the post.
Mercedes Russell, who was part of two WNBA championship teams with the Seattle Storm, signed with the Fever on Monday on a deal that runs through the end of the 2026 season. Indiana was granted a season-ending injury exception after center Damiris Dantas had surgery to repair her meniscus.
Russell will wear No. 5 with the Fever.
A 6-foot-6 center from the University of Tennessee, Russell has not played in the WNBA this season. She played in 20 games last year with the Los Angeles Sparks, averaging 1.7 points and 1.2 rebounds in 8.2 minutes per game. In 2024, she starred in Australia, leading the Southside Flyers to the WNBL championship by earning MVP honors after posting 14.3 points, 12.7 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game in the finals.
The Gatorade National Player of the Year as a high school prospect in Oregon and an All-SEC First Team selection while she played for the Lady Vols, Russell was drafted 22nd overall by the New York Liberty in 2018. She was waived midway through her rookie year and joined the Storm, appearing in 22 games as the club went on to win the championship.
Russell remained with Seattle through the 2024 season, starting 79 of the 187 games she appeared in and helping them win a second championship in 2020. For her WNBA career, she averages 4.6 points, 3.8 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game. She has five career double-doubles.
The Fever (20-12) have won six of their last eight games but have searched all season to find depth in the frontcourt behind All-Star forward Aliyah Boston and veteran Monique Billings. Indiana ranks seventh in total rebounds per game and 10th in block rate.
Indiana also recently signed forward Michelle Onyiah from the Upshot League to a developmental contract, but she has yet to appear in a game.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mercedes Russell signs with Indiana Fever after Damiris Dantas injury
Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty ImagesDiJonai Carrington has been labelled as one of the ‘dirtiest players in WNBA’ by Dave Portnoy in the latest row over her hard foul on Sophie Cunningham.
Carrington was ejected from the court in the first quarter of Chicago Sky’s 86-90 loss to the Indiana Fever when she performed a hard foul on Cunningham when she went up for an open layup.
The postgame comments from Carrington have caused plenty of debate and Barstool Sports owner Portnoy is the latest to chime in on the fallout.
Photo by Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire via Getty ImagesDave Portnoy goes in on DiJonai Carrington for postgame commentStephanie White defended Carrington for her social media post but Portnoy was on the opposite side of the coin and hit out at the 28-year-old for her online response.
Speaking on Wake Up Barstool, he said: “The story isn’t that she got kicked out, it’s that she’s tweeted out ‘white privilege’ because Sophie Cunningham is white so somehow that’s why she got kicked out.
“I put together a little clip of DJ Carrington, who is definitely one of the dirtiest players in WNBA.
“She’s taken her long nails and scratched Caitlin Clark’s eyes out. I went nuts when that happened.
“She’s had multiple incidents of chasing people down when from behind. This is not a skin colour thing, this is a history of dirty plays.”
Has DiJonai Carrington been suspended?So far there has been no decision on whether Carrington will face a suspension or not for both the comments and the foul.
Officials initially assessed the action as a Flagrant 1 Foul, but upon reviewing the footage, they upgraded it to a Flagrant 2, resulting in her ejection.
WNBA chiefs are also reviewing her social media post as per their guidelines, while Carrington has switched her account to private to take herself out of the limelight for now.
Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images, The RingerBill Simmons believes commissioner Cathy Engelbert is the biggest problem in the WNBA, and he expects that problem to be resolved before next season.
Despite boasting players who are both uniquely talented and marketable personalities leading to record ratings and popularity, the national conversation around the WNBA continues to be largely negative. The WNBA has shown little ability to sidestep any potential controversy, the latest involving a hard foul from Chicago Sky guard DiJonai Carrington as she chased down the Indiana Fever’s Sophie Cunningham.
Unfortunately, the foul was met with harsh overreaction from fans and media considering Cunningham has become a sort of polarizing figure for her recent comments on transgender athletes. Carrington did little to temper flaring emotions when she posted “WHITE PRIVILEGE” on social media from the locker room after she was ejected for the foul on Cunningham. And amid the mounting controversies, Simmons believes the WNBA needs new leadership.
“Nobody needs a commissioner more than the WNBA right now.”@BillSimmons shares his frustration with the discourse around the league and explains why there needs to be a change in leadership. pic.twitter.com/67myX6RY97
— The Ringer (@ringer) August 10, 2026
“Nobody needs a commissioner more than the WNBA right now,” Simmons said before listing some of the great stories in the WNBA that are being overshadowed by more controversial ones. “The league’s legitimately fun to watch, and yet, all anyone talks about is dumb sh*t. Anyone who participates in the sh*tty discourse about the league, I think that speaks more about them than the league. But what the league really needs is a commissioner, and I would personally bet anything that we will not have this commissioner next year.”
“I’ve never seen a league more determined to not push fun stars and fun storylines and fun people,” Simmons continued. “Like Olivia Miles, if this was the NBA, this would be anyone talked about, ‘Have you seen Olivia Miles? She’s on tonight…’ In the WNBA, she’s like an annoyance, that she’s just a good storyline. Push your f*cking player! Instead, it’s all this discourse stuff, and they’re just stepping in bear traps left and right because they have no adults in charge of the league.”
Pro sports commissioners have a history of not being popular with fanbases. As successful as the NFL is, Roger Goodell has been subjected to widespread animosity, criticism and booing. Major League Baseball has seen its popularity grow in recent years, yet Rob Manfred is often considered one of the worst commissioners in league history.
It’s obvious why fans traditionally hate commissioners. Commissioners are the face of every unpopular league decision. They’re also often tone-deaf figureheads who will do anything to make sure franchise owners are getting every possible dollar.
But with Engelbert, the criticism has been different. WNBA fans and media can finally respect the league’s ability to cash in on some of its growing popularity. But it’s Engelbert watching from the sidelines as all the WNBA’s good stories are hijacked by people who aren’t fans, but seek to bury any positive press behind manufactured controversies and bad-faith conversations.
Simmons isn’t alone in placing blame on Engelbert. It’s hard to find anybody commending her for the job she’s done as a leader for the WNBA. Despite the mounting scrutiny, Engelbert has remained in power after overseeing a period of large financial growth.
Engelbert’s contract is reportedly up later this year, which should give credence to Simmons betting on her being replaced. But Engelbert was also reportedly supposed to step down after the league’s latest round of collective bargaining negotiations. Those contentious negotiations came and went earlier this year with an agreement being reached in time for the WNBA regular season, and Engelbert is still commissioner.
The post Bill Simmons would ‘bet anything’ on WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert being replaced appeared first on Awful Announcing.
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There is literally no room for error left if the Chicago Sky have a surge to the playoffs left in them.
Starting a 3-game road trip at Climate Pledge Arena against the last-place Seattle Storm, the first team eliminated from WNBA playoff contention, couldn’t be a better jump-off point.
My Sky vs. Storm predictions and WNBA picks have Chicago as the only team with something to play for, making the 1.5-point underdog my pick against a team that’s currently lost 11 straight on Monday, Aug. 10.
The Chicago Sky are on their best run of the season, winning five of nine, though all four losses came by five points or fewer.
That makes the Seattle Storm a favorable matchup, as they have allowed 96.3 points during their losing skid (14th in the WNBA).
Chicago is dealing with injuries to Sydney Taylor and Skylar Diggins — with DiJonai Carrington potentially suspended — but Kamilla Cardoso should anchor an interior attack that ranks second in the WNBA at 42.1 points in the paint.
Chicago is 4-2 against the spread in its last six against Seattle.
I’d back the Sky up to -1.5.
COVERS INTEL: Chicago's recent success has been powered by a defense that's moved from outside the Top 10 in points allowed to seventh over the last nine games. That includes a WNBA-best 31.4% clip in 3-point shooting defense. Cardoso has led the Sky in rebounding each of the last five games, topping her 8.5 rebounds line in three of four. She’s hit the Over twice in five games against the Storm, missing the Over two other times by a single board each.
It’s no surprise Natasha Cloud’s scoring numbers have gone up while Sydney Taylor has been out. Cloud’s scoring line is a gettable 12.5 points, a number she’s eclipsed in three straight.
Sky vs Storm SGPSky +1.5Kamilla Cardoso Over 8.5 reboundsNatasha Cloud Over 12.5 pointsWant more basketball parlays? Check out our WNBA parlay picks page!
Sky vs Storm player prop pickDominique Malonga Over 8.5 rebounds (-145)Seattle’s rebuild is centered around second-year center Dominique Malonga. The second-year pro ranks inside the Top 15 in scoring at 17.1 points per game, and inside the Top 10 in rebounding.
The books have offered a generous 8.5 rebound line for Malonga tonight, a number she’s eclipsed in 12 of her last 13 games.
Chicago has covered the spread in nine of their last 10 games. Find more WNBA betting trends.
How to watch Sky vs Storm| Location | Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle, WA |
| Date | Monday, August 10, 2026 |
| Tip-off | 10:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | USA Network |
Sky: Sydney Taylor G (Out), Skylar Diggins G (Out), Rickea Jackson F (Out).
Storm: Taina Mair G (Out), Ezi Magbegor F (Questionable), Katie Lou Samuelson F (Questionable), Flau'jae Johnson G (Questionable).
Find our latest WNBA injury reports.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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All eyes will be on Angel Reese when the Dream host the Tempo tonight, and our WNBA parlay picks highlight her tremendous potential for production on Monday, Aug. 10.
We also have WNBA SGP predictions for Sky vs. Storm.
WNBA parlay picks today vs.  | Reese 15+ pts Reese 12+ rebs Reese 3+ asts | 4.64x |
 vs.  | CHI +1.5 Cardoso 8+ rebs Malonga 10+ rebs | 5.09x |
Angel Reese 15+ points
Angel Reese 12+ rebounds
Angel Reese 3+ assists
Atlanta Dream superstar Angel Reese ranks second in the WNBA with 11.8 rebounds per game and comfortably leads the league in offensive boards at 8.1 a night.
On the season, the Toronto Tempo have allowed the second-most points in the paint per game (43.1) and the most second-chance points (14.5). Toronto owns the second-worst defensive rebound percentage (65.8) and has surrendered the most offensive rebounds (10.1).
Over her last eight, Reese has hit the Over on this line five times and cleared it in two of three meetings with Toronto.
Check out Zak Hanshew's full Tempo vs. Dream predictions.
Sky vs Storm parlaySky +1.5
Kamilla Cardoso 8+ rebounds
Dominique Malonga 10+ rebounds
The Chicago Sky are on their best run of the season, winning five of nine, though all four losses came by five points or fewer.
Cardoso has led the Sky in rebounding each of the last five games, topping her 8.5 rebounds line in three of four. She’s hit the Over twice in five games against the Storm, missing the Over two other times by a single board each.
Seattle’s rebuild is centered around second-year center Dominique Malonga. The second-year pro ranks inside the Top 15 in scoring at 17.1 points per game, and inside the Top 10 in rebounding.
Check out Eric Rosales' full Sky vs. Storm predictions.
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WNBA parlay FAQsWhat are the best WNBA parlays today?
Tempo vs. Dream: Angel Reese 15+ points/Angel Reese 12+ rebounds/Angel Reese 3+ assists (4.64x)Sky vs. Storm: Sky +1.5/Kamilla Cardoso 8+ rebounds/Dominique Malonga 10+ rebounds (5.09x)Where can I trade on WNBA parlays?
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Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
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This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.
The WNBA has seen some pretty good basketball this season, but it has been overshadowed quite a bit by manufactured outrage and discourse related to various players and topics that we don’t need to rehash here. One person who sounds fed up with this is The Ringer’s Bill Simmons, who made a prediction about WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert on his latest podcast.
Simmons aptly compared the coverage of the league to the Twitter For You tab before predicting Cathy Engelbert is on the way out, saying that “nobody needs a new commissioner more than the WNBA right now.”
MORE: Cathy Engelbert takes awkward jab at reporter during 2026 WNBA Draft
“The league’s legitimately fun to watch, and yet, all anyone talks about is dumb s–t,” said Simmons. “Anyone who participates in the s—y discourse about the league, I think that speaks more about them than the league. But what the league really needs is a commissioner, and I would personally bet anything that we will not have this commissioner next year.”
“I’ve never seen a league more determined to not push fun stars and fun storylines and fun people,” Simmons continued. “Like, this Olivia Miles. If this was the NBA this would be all anyone talked about. Have you seen Olivia Miles? She’s on tonight. Oh my god. I saw the commercial. And in the WNBA, she’s like an annoyance that she’s just a good storyline. Like, push your f—ing players. Instead, it’s all this discourse stuff and they’re just stepping in bear traps left and right because they have no adults in charge of the league.”
Engelbert’s job in dangerEngelbert is the first and only commissioner the WNBA has ever had. She took the job in 2019 and has not received high marks over the last couple of years as the league exploded in popularity.
Last year, some of the league’s biggest stars, most notably Napheesa Collier, blasted her publicly as the league negotiated a new collective bargaining agreement. Many thought that Engelbert would not survive negotiations with her job, but she managed to keep her job for at least another season.
Obviously, she hasn’t done much this season to convince anyone the league made the right decision bringing her back.
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