Enes Kanter Freedom Ejected After Clash With Natasha Cloud; WNBA Says He's Ineligible

Former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom was escorted out of a WNBA game on Sunday after a heated exchange with Chicago Sky guard Natasha Cloud. The incident, which occurred during a game between the Indiana Fever and the Chicago Sky, has sparked widespread commentary and reignited the debate over transgender athletes in women's sports.

According to multiple reports, Freedom was seated near the baseline wearing a black T-shirt that read "WOMAN. Noun. Adult human female." With 1:22 remaining in the third quarter, Cloud scored a basket to cut the Fever lead to 81-75. After the Fever called a timeout, Cloud walked toward Freedom, pointing and shouting at him. Freedom stood up with his arms outstretched and took a step toward the court before security escorted him out of the arena.

The exact words exchanged were not caught on the broadcast, but Freedom later claimed in a Fox News interview that Cloud said, "She's not gonna sleep with you!" He said the confrontation began when he celebrated a three-pointer by Fever guard Sophie Cunningham. Cloud has not confirmed Freedom's account.

After the game, Cloud posted a message on Threads directed at transgender youth: "To every trans kid/person, you are a part of my community & tribe. You belong. You're loved. You're seen. You're perfect as you are. & you will always be protected by me."

Sky head coach Tyler Marsh said he told Cloud she wasn't a distraction and that they embrace her as a protector. Fever coach Stephanie White, however, asked reporters not to cover the incident, calling it "a social media thing."

The WNBA has stated that Freedom and Royce White, another former NBA player who has also declared for the 2027 WNBA Draft, are not eligible to participate in the league, according to sources around the league. The league's collective bargaining agreement states that "only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA," though it does not define gender identity. The league has also said there are no immediate eligibility matters involving transgender athletes.

The WNBPA, the players' union, released a statement declaring they would not be used as "political pawns," saying, "Hate, abuse, and demonization of any person or group of people, including transgender people, only fuel fear, division, and harm."

The incident has drawn reactions from across the sports and political spectrum. Former sports columnist Jason Whitlock called Cloud's confrontation a "publicity stunt," noting that the Sky were outscored 32-15 after the altercation and lost 113-90. Shannon Sharpe, on his show "Nightcap," criticized Freedom's actions as a "desperate plea for attention," with panelists Joe Johnson and Chad Ochocinco calling it a "colossal waste of time."

Meanwhile, podcaster Riley Gaines said the image of Freedom with his arms outstretched was the "perfect visual" to illustrate objections to transgender athletes in women's sports. Freedom has said he is showing solidarity with Cunningham, who has stated that biological males should not be allowed in women's sports.

The controversy is part of a broader national debate over transgender participation in sports, following the Supreme Court's June ruling that gave states authority to ban transgender athletes from women's sports in high school and college. A Pew Research Center poll found that 73% of Americans are uncomfortable with transgender athletes competing on sports teams that do not match their sex at birth.