Former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom was ejected from Sunday's WNBA matchup between the Indiana Fever and the Chicago Sky following a verbal altercation with Sky guard Natasha Cloud. The incident occurred late in the third quarter when Cloud approached Freedom, who was seated courtside wearing a shirt that read, “Woman: noun. adult human female.”
Video footage shows Cloud pointing and yelling at Freedom, who stood up with his arms outstretched and shouted back. A security guard then escorted him out of the arena. The Fever went on to win 113-90, improving to 25-14 on the season.
Freedom, who last played for the Boston Celtics in the 2021-22 season, declared for the 2027 WNBA Draft earlier this month. His bid to join the league has drawn attention to the WNBA's eligibility rules, which currently restrict participation to women. No transgender woman has competed in the league, and the WNBA has not adopted a specific policy on the matter, according to ESPN.
Before the game, Freedom posted a photo on X of a woman giving him the middle finger outside Wintrust Arena in Chicago. After the ejection, he shared a picture of himself in the shirt, writing, “Careful what you wish for, @WNBA. Freedom of speech never looked this good. Somehow controversial.”
In an interview with Fox News, Freedom said Cloud confronted him after he celebrated a three-pointer by Fever wing Sophie Cunningham. “I put my hands up to celebrate… Natasha came back and started screaming and yelling and said, ‘[Cunningham is] not gonna sleep with you,’” he claimed. Freedom had joined a small rally supporting Cunningham outside the arena before the game.
Cunningham, who has been outspoken on transgender participation in sports, told ESPN in July that she wants to “protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn’t have to go against biological men.” However, she also emphasized that she does not hate transgender people and considers herself “very much in the middle” politically.
The incident comes amid broader debates over gender and sports, with policy battles and political initiatives intersecting with cultural flashpoints. Freedom, a vocal advocate for conservative causes, has frequently used his platform to weigh in on such issues.
The WNBA has not issued an official statement regarding the ejection. Freedom's declaration for the 2027 draft remains symbolic, as the league's rules currently bar male players, but his presence at games continues to generate controversy.
