Former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom was ejected from a WNBA game after wearing a shirt displaying the dictionary definition of a woman.
Freedom was seated courtside at Wintrust Arena on Sunday as the Chicago Sky hosted Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever. His black shirt read, “WOMAN noun. adult human female.”
The message apparently angered Sky guard Natasha Cloud, who confronted Freedom late in the third quarter. After scoring with 1:22 remaining, Cloud walked toward him while yelling and pointing.
The Natasha Cloud interaction with Enes Kanter Freedom that led to his removal from the arena pic.twitter.com/yg4FXDXTOk
— OutKick (@Outkick) August 24, 2026
Freedom stood with his arms extended and stepped toward the court as Cloud continued approaching. Several Sky players and security personnel quickly moved between them, preventing the exchange from escalating.
Although Cloud initiated the confrontation, security removed Freedom from his seat and escorted him toward the arena lobby. As he left, the former center stretched out his shirt to ensure that spectators could read its message.
“This is unacceptable,” Freedom reportedly told police officers before departing the building.
Freedom Says He Was Ejected for Supporting Women
Freedom later addressed the incident on social media.
I just got kicked out of a @WNBA game for supporting WOMEN!
Let that sink in, AMERICA! 🇺🇸
— Enes Kanter FREEDOM (@EnesFreedom) August 24, 2026
“I just got kicked out of a @WNBA game for supporting WOMEN!” he wrote. “Let that sink in, AMERICA!”
The Swiss-born, Turkish-raised athlete legally changed his last name to Freedom when he became a U.S. citizen in 2021.
Arena officials have not publicly explained why Freedom was removed or identified any specific rule that he violated. A woman seated in his row told ESPN that he had only cheered during the game before Cloud approached him.
Natasha Cloud – The Pivot Podcast, YouTube
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Chicago coach Tyler Marsh nevertheless defended Cloud’s actions and suggested that Freedom should have focused exclusively on the game.
“If you come to a game, you should probably come to enjoy the basketball,” Marsh said. “That seems pretty simple to me. I think these players deserve that and have earned that.”
Marsh also praised Cloud as someone who “protects our team and protects people that need to be protected.”
Cloud did not speak to reporters after Chicago’s 113-90 loss.
Freedom Challenges the WNBA’s Eligibility Rules
The confrontation follows Freedom’s increasingly vocal support for protecting women’s sports. He recently joined former NBA player Royce White in declaring himself eligible for the WNBA draft by claiming to identify as a woman.
Enes Kanter Freedom – Fox News, YouTube
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Their move is intended to highlight the league’s failure to clearly define who qualifies as a woman. The WNBA’s new collective bargaining agreement states that “only players who are women are eligible to play,” but it does not define the term or provide a publicly available policy governing transgender eligibility.
Freedom has also defended Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham, who generated controversy after opposing the inclusion of biological men in women’s basketball. During a recent appearance on Fox News, Freedom told Lara Trump that he considers Cunningham “an American hero.”
Freedom Describes Cloud’s Alleged Remarks
In a Sunday interview with Fox News, Freedom suggested that both his support for Cunningham and his shirt led to the confrontation. According to Freedom, Cloud initiated the exchange by directing harsh profanity at him in front of young fans.
Sophie Cunningham – Chaz NBA, YouTube
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“I was cheering for my friend Sophie because when she shot that three, I put my hands in the air,” Freedom explained. “A couple possessions later, [Cloud] came back and said, ‘She’s not gonna sleep with you.’ And I was shocked. I was like, ‘Listen, I’m not trying to sleep with her. I think she’s awesome. She’s a good friend.’ But I think it has a lot to do with my shirt.”
Cloud and the WNBA have yet to tell their side of the story. However, the images from Chicago are difficult to ignore: A male former NBA player wore a shirt displaying the traditional definition of “woman,” a WNBA player confronted him, and security escorted him out of the arena while allowing her to finish the game.
Why do you think Enes Kanter was ejected from the WNBA game? Sound off and let us know!
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