Former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom was ejected after a verbal confrontation with Chicago Sky guard Natasha Cloud during the third quarter of the Sky's 90-113 loss to the Indiana Fever on Sunday (Aug. 23).
The incident occurred when Kanter Freedom, seated in the front row, stood up and took a few steps toward the court with arms outstretched after Cloud began pointing and shouting in his direction during an Indiana timeout. Referees and security quickly intervened, and Cloud's teammates pulled her away. The referee signaled an ejection for Kanter Freedom, who was escorted from his seat by security.
Kanter Freedom, 34, wore a black shirt reading: "WOMAN noun. Adult human female." Cloud, also 34, spoke with team and league security after the game but did not address the media. On social media, she wrote: "To every trans child/person, you are a part of MY COMMUNITY and tribe. You belong. You are loved. You are valued. You are perfect as you are. And you will always be protected by me."
After speaking with police before leaving Wintrust Arena, Kanter Freedom posted on X: "I just got kicked out of a @WNBA game for supporting WOMEN! Let that sink in, America."
Chicago Sky coach Tyler Marsh said in his postgame press conference that Cloud did not want to be a distraction. "I told her that's not the case," Marsh said. "I said we all support her as the guardian of this team and of those who need protecting. Tash will always stand in that corner, and we stand with Tash."
Marsh also directed a message to the fans, seemingly aimed at Kanter Freedom: "There's a lot of good in this league and a lot of good in the way these players play, so if you're coming to a game, you should come to enjoy basketball. That seems simple to me. I think the players deserve that and got that. As a former basketball player, you should understand and feel that too."
Kanter Freedom, formerly known as Enes Kanter, played 11 seasons in the NBA as a center for five teams from 2011-12 through 2021-22, averaging 11.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 21.5 minutes per game over 748 career games.
He has also spoken out on social issues, including debates about transgender athletes. The WNBA, which has never had a known transgender player, has been drawn into this issue, intensifying after Fever's Sophie Cunningham strongly voiced support for women's sports being reserved for women. Cunningham emphasized last month that "girls should never have to compete against biological males." She later added that she doesn't hate anyone and "there's room to love everyone," but maintained she would "never waver in her beliefs" and has never claimed to hate the transgender community.
There have been protests outside WNBA arenas with both supporters and opponents of Cunningham. Kanter Freedom and another former NBA player, Royce White, have spoken about being eligible for the 2027 WNBA Draft, both declaring themselves as women, according to media reports. The league has no public policy regarding transgender participation, but the collective bargaining agreement signed in March states that "only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA."
