The WNBA have been savaged for their response to two former NBA players declaring themselves for the league’s 2027 Draft after an email on the subject was leaked.

Both Enes Kanter and Royce White decided to test the league’s vague transgender policy by trying to be drafted by a WNBA franchise. The announcements sparked plenty of debate online.

Commissioner Cathy Engelbert has since responded to the news, confirming that discussions are still ongoing about whether transgender athletes should be able to compete in women’s basketball.

The Debate Over Transgender Athletes in the WNBA

Credit: Royce White Instagram

The situation began with Kanter and White taking to social media to announce their intention to become WNBA players. Kanter said: “If simply declaring who you are is all that’s required, then I meet every single requirement necessary to compete in the WNBA.”

They also added that their team has carefully examined the league’s eligibility criteria and governing framework, whilst attempting to shut down any speculation that this is a stunt. “I am definitely not here to mock, make fun of, or disrespect any community or personal choices,” they said.

Meanwhile, White has also been active on social media, tweeting: “I haven’t even been publicly trans for 72 hours, and I’m already getting so much hate.”

Since then, Engelbert has addressed the ongoing discussions over the issue, with a memo recently sent to the teams. She said:

“I know many of you have received questions in recent weeks regarding transgender athlete participation in women’s basketball, and I expect this topic will continue to receive significant attention.”

The memo also said the topic will be discussed further with a task force of team presidents and general managers now scheduled for a meeting next week.

Florida Governor Mocks WNBA’s Response to Transgender Controversy

Among those to criticize the league for their reaction was Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Unable to believe that officials hadn’t taken a stronger stance, he took to social media, where he said: “WNBA meeting to decide whether 2+2=4 or 2+2=5.”

DeSantis ran against US President Donald Trump during the 2024 primaries, where the debate over transgender policy in sports was discussed at length.

Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham initially sparked the controversy by criticizing the idea of transgender athletes in the WNBA. However, after that spurred so much debate, she recently said: “I’m going to let people just do the speaking for themselves, but for me, I want to get back to basketball.”

Newcastle United have lost their captain and talisman in Bruno Guimaraes, and their primary focus for the rest of this summer must be to ensure they source an adequate replacement — Angelo Stiller fits the bill.

Guimaraes ended his four-and-a-half-year love affair with the Magpies on Saturday, signing for Arsenal in a £75 million deal. The Brazilian had been the beating heart of Eddie Howe’s iteration of the Tynesiders, and he leaves a gaping hole in the middle of the park at St. James’ Park.

While Newcastle are unlikely to replace Guimaraes with a player of similar calibre, there are certainly intriguing options on the market for them to explore.

Aladji Bamba, 20, and Seun Steur, 19, have arrived from Monaco and Ajax respectively, but neither is ready to take the mantle from Guimaraes. The north-east outfit need a more experienced option, but Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, who has been heavily linked with a switch, isn’t the right man.

Newcastle Must Sign Angelo Stiller Over Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg

Hojbjerg is a well-rounded and experienced figure who would certainly help fill the void left by Guimaraes. That said, the Dane just turned 31 and hasn’t played at the top level since 2024, suggesting he’s already on the decline.

The former Tottenham midfielder would be a safe, but unspectacular, move. If Newcastle have aspirations of getting back into Europe next term, they’ve got to take more of a risk and invest in someone more adventurous.

Newcastle have made contact over a deal to bring Stiller to St James’ Park,, and this is a deal Magpies supporters should be excited about. Described by football analyst Ben Mattinson as being an ‘exceptional half-space crosser and line-breaker‘, the German would replace everything Guimaraes brought in possession.

He’s an outstanding passer from deep areas, breaking lines with his punchy balls to forward players. Defensively, he lacks elite-level athleticism but makes up for this with intelligent positioning and a strong tackling technique.

He’s not going to break into the final third and contribute to 15 goals a season like Guimaraes does, but there’s certainly a lot more upside to signing Stiller than Hojbjerg.

Angelo Stiller vs Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg Statistical Comparison

At 25, Stiller still has his best years ahead of him and can grow into something special. On the flip side, Hojbjerg likely has his best years behind him.

Statistically, the players compare interestingly. While progressive passing data is harder to come by these days, Stiller is widely regarded as one of the best ball progression midfielders in Europe. Hojbjerg is much more of a metronomic passer, keeping possession without trying to force more aggressive balls in between the lines.

The perception might be that Hojbjerg is more steely in the middle of the park, but this isn’t necessarily reflected in the data. In fact, the Denmark international makes fewer defensive contributions per 90 minutes than Stiller does.

It should be a no-brainer for the Newcastle hierarchy.

All Statistics via FotMob – correct as of 08/08/2026

An update has emerged over Anthony Elanga’s condition after the Newcastle United forward was stretchered off during Saturday’s pre-season friendly against Valencia.

Newcastle sealed a 2-1 win in Matthias Jaissle’s first match in charge, but the game was marred by Jose Gaya’s red card challenge on Elanga in the 35th minute.

Gaya, the 31-year-old former Spain international, was sent off after catching Elanga with a reckless late tackle.

Elanga was left in agony while his incensed teammates clashed with their Valencia counterparts.

It became clear that Elanga wouldn’t be able to continue. The Sweden international was subsequently stretchered off and replaced by Jacob Murphy. Watch the incident below:

Update Over Elanga’s Condition After Horror Tackle

REUTERS/Pablo Morano

Fans naturally feared the former Manchester United and Nottingham Forest winger, 24, had suffered a potentially serious injury.

Jaissle, the German coach who replaced Eddie Howe at St James’ Park this summer, also feared the worst.

“It was a shocking challenge, that’s right,” Jaissle told reporters, per The Northern Echo. “I was in fear, definitely.”

However, the former Red Bull Salzburg and Al-Ahli boss has revealed Elanga appears to have had a lucky escape.

He added: “But now I’m more relaxed because the medical department are almost showing green lights that it’s nothing serious. We are blessed. Hopefully he can be back in the next week.”

Impressive Win Amid Turbulent Summer For Newcastle

REUTERS/Pablo Morano

Newcastle were 1-0 down at the time of Elanga’s injury after Swiss midfielder Filip Ugrinic put Valencia ahead in the fourth minute.

But the Magpies battled back in the second half, securing an impressive 2-1 win at Mestalla Stadium thanks to a Yoane Wissa brace.

“Next week there are things we need to work on definitely,” Jaissle said. “But we did well in the camp and the friendly win.”

Newcastle have three more friendlies left to play this summer – against Everton (August 12), Bayer Leverkusen (August 15), and Strasbourg (August 16) – before their opening Premier League fixture of the campaign against Liverpool on August 23.

It’s been a turbulent summer for the north-east outfit, with key players Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes and Anthony Gordon all following Howe out of St James’ Park.

While several players have arrived including Bazoumana Toure from Hoffenheim, Aladji Bamba from AS Monaco and Lukas Hornicek from Braga, their lack of Premier League experience will be a concern for Newcastle United supporters.

Likewise, Jaissle will need to hit the ground running in England’s top division, which is widely regarded as the most competitive in world football.

But an eye-catching away win over Valencia is an impressive start for the club’s new manager.