Former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom was ejected from an Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky WNBA game at Wintrust Arena in Chicago on Sunday, August 23, 2026, following a verbal altercation with Chicago Sky guard Natasha Cloud. Kanter Freedom, 34, was sitting courtside along the baseline wearing a black T-shirt that read, WOMAN noun. adult human female.
Altercation and Ejection at Wintrust Arena
The confrontation occurred late in the third quarter after Cloud scored inside with 1:22 left on the clock, prompting the Fever to call a timeout. According to CBS News, Cloud performed a chest bump with teammate Aicha Coulibaly before turning toward Kanter Freedom and shouting and pointing at him. Video footage showed Kanter Freedom standing with his arms outstretched and taking a step toward the court before arena security and several Sky players moved in to separate them. One source told ABC7 Los Angeles that Kanter Freedom had made comments toward Cloud throughout the game, though a nearby fan wearing a Caitlin Clark jersey stated he had only been cheering.
As security escorted him out, Kanter Freedom stopped near the basket, spun around while displaying his shirt, and encouraged the crowd before heading to the front lobby, where he spoke with police officers. I just got kicked out of a @WNBA game for supporting WOMEN!
Kanter Freedom wrote on social media. Let that sink in, AMERICA!
League Eligibility Stance and Publicity Stunt Accusations
The incident follows recent moves by Kanter Freedom and fellow former NBA player Royce White to declare themselves women and state their intentions to enter the WNBA draft. Multiple sources informed sports.yahoo.com that Kanter Freedom and White are not eligible to play in the women’s league. A league source characterized their declarations as simply publicity stunts
designed to mock the league and marginalize others, adding that the WNBA will not allow outside pressure or manufactured controversy to dictate league processes.
The WNBA collective bargaining agreement signed in March includes a provision stating that only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA.
However, the agreement contains no further definition of a woman and lacks specific language regarding gender identity or sex assigned at birth. League sources noted that the WNBA currently has no instances requiring an immediate eligibility review and that no transgender woman has ever played in the league.
Reactions From Coaches, Players, and Arena Officials
Chicago Sky coach Tyler Marsh addressed the postgame atmosphere, stating that Cloud was concerned about being a distraction to the team. I told her she wasn’t,
Marsh said. 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.
Cloud did not speak to the media after the game but later posted a supportive statement on social media directed at transgender youth and individuals, writing, You are apart of MY community & tribe. You belong. You’re loved. You’re seen.
Indiana guard Caitlin Clark told reporters she missed the initial altercation because her huddle was discussing the next play. Regarding future attendance restrictions, a TMZ spokesperson for Wintrust Arena stated that any decisions regarding reprimals or bans are up to the WNBA, while Chicago Police confirmed no formal reports were filed regarding the incident.
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