Royce White, a former NBA first-round pick and current U.S. Senate candidate, attended a WNBA game on Friday wearing a blonde wig. White sat courtside for the Indiana Fever's 111-91 victory over the Connecticut Sun at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
White posted on Instagram, referring to himself as "Queen Roysha" and stating, "The Kweeeen has arrived! They better bow for a beautiful Black Trans Lesbian!" He and former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom have been publicly advocating against transgender women's participation in women's sports, a stance that has drawn attention and criticism.
This appearance follows a similar incident involving Kanter Freedom, who was courtside at a Chicago Sky game and was subsequently banned from Sky games after an altercation with Sky guard Natasha Cloud. White and Kanter Freedom previously announced their intent to enter the 2027 WNBA draft, claiming to identify as women. The WNBA has stated that both individuals are ineligible for the draft.
Front Office Sports reported that the WNBA views White's and Kanter Freedom's actions as "publicity stunts." The league issued a statement earlier in August, asserting that "there are no immediate eligibility matters affecting the WNBA and we strongly denounce the bad-faith efforts to use these topics to demean or marginalize others," though it did not specifically name White or Kanter Freedom.
White was selected 16th overall by the Houston Rockets in the 2012 NBA Draft. His NBA career was brief, consisting of three games with the Sacramento Kings in 2014, during which he played a total of nine minutes and recorded two personal fouls without scoring any points.