INDIANAPOLIS — Royce White spent Friday night courtside at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in a long blonde wig, watching the Indiana Fever run past the Connecticut Sun 111-91 and drawing most of the attention that was not directed at the floor.
White, 35, posted a photo of himself in the wig to Instagram, writing that "The Kweeeen has arrived!" and adding a line demanding that others "bow for a beautiful Black Trans Lesbian." Over the course of the evening he referred to himself as "Queen Roysha."
The appearance is part of a months-long campaign that White and former NBA center Enes Kanter Freedom have run against the WNBA over the question of transgender participation in women's sports. Both men have said they intend to enter the 2027 WNBA Draft, asserting that they identify as women.
The league has already closed that door. In a statement, the WNBA said the two are not eligible for the 2027 draft. Front Office Sports has reported that people inside the league regard the effort as nothing more than a publicity stunt.
Earlier in August, the WNBA addressed the broader controversy without naming either man, saying "there are no immediate eligibility matters affecting the WNBA" and that it "strongly denounce[s] the bad-faith efforts to use these topics to demean or marginalize others."
An escalating pattern
White's Indianapolis appearance follows a considerably more volatile night for Kanter Freedom. The 34-year-old was courtside in Chicago on Aug. 23 for the Sky's game against the Fever when he got into a shouting confrontation with Sky guard Natasha Cloud in the third quarter. He was ejected from the arena and subsequently barred from attending Sky games.
Players around the league have pushed back forcefully. Cloud, Los Angeles Sparks forward Cameron Brink and Fever guard Sophie Cunningham have all weighed in, and the dispute has spilled outside the arenas themselves, with competing groups of demonstrators turning up at WNBA venues in recent weeks.
A brief professional career
White arrived in professional basketball with genuine pedigree. The Houston Rockets selected him 16th overall in the 2012 NBA Draft out of Iowa State, where he had been one of the more distinctive talents in college basketball.
The NBA career that followed was almost nonexistent. White appeared in three games, all with the Sacramento Kings in 2014, logging nine total minutes. He finished with two personal fouls and no points.
He has since moved into conservative politics in Minnesota, including a run for the U.S. Senate.
This story was first reported by the New York Post. Read the original account here: https://nypost.com/2026/08/29/sports/royce-white-wears-blonde-wig-at-fever-sun-game/
