Enes Kanter Freedom was ejected during the August 23, 2026 WNBA game between the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky after a verbal confrontation with Chicago Sky guard Natasha Cloud late in the third quarter [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]. Kanter had been sitting courtside near the baseline wearing a black shirt that read "WOMAN. Noun. Adult human female." [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 7].
The incident occurred after Cloud scored and approached Kanter shouting and pointing at him [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7]. Kanter stood and stepped toward the court, prompting intervention from security and Chicago Sky players, who separated the two. Kanter was then escorted out of the arena amid boos from fans [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7].
Kanter posted on X social media that he was ejected for supporting women, stating, "It’s always women hating on other women" and adding, "I just got kicked out of a @WNBA game for supporting WOMEN! Let that sink in, AMERICA!" [2, 5, 8]. He also claimed Cloud directed a vulgar remark saying, "She’s not gonna sleep with you," and used heavy language during the exchange [2, 7]. Cloud did not speak to the media after the game but posted a pro-trans message affirming support for transgender people, saying, "You are apart of MY community & tribe. You belong. You’re loved. You’re seen. You’re perfect as you are" [8].
Chicago Sky coach Tyler Marsh defended Cloud, saying, "I told her that we all embrace her as someone that protects our team and protects people that need to be protected and so Tash is always going to stand on that, and we stand for Tash." He added, "If you come to a game, you should probably come to enjoy the basketball" [1, 2, 4]. Chicago Sky forward Azura Stevens said, "There was just a fan incident and the security handled it, and we’re just going to focus on the game" [1]. Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark, who scored 37 points including eight 3-pointers in the 113-90 win, said she did not see the incident and was focused on the game [1, 2, 4, 6].
Earlier in August, Kanter declared himself eligible for the 2027 WNBA Draft, claiming he identifies as a woman and challenging the league’s policies on transgender athlete eligibility [2, 3, 4, 9]. The WNBA’s collective bargaining agreement states only women are eligible to play but does not define "women" or maintain a public policy on transgender participation [1, 2, 3, 4, 9]. The debate among WNBA players is ongoing, with some opposing and others supporting transgender athletes in women's sports [1, 3, 9, 8, 7].
Kanter also faced a hostile crowd both outside the arena before the game and inside after the incident, with some fans booing and showing middle fingers [9, 5, 8]. The game ended with Indiana Fever beating Chicago Sky 113-90, led by Caitlin Clark’s 37 points and 8 of 12 three-pointers [1, 4, 6].
