Kanter ejected from WNBA game after confrontation with Natasha Cloud

Enes Kanter Freedom is back at the center of controversy in the WNBA. The former NBA player was removed from Chicago’s Wintrust Arena during the game between the Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever after a heated courtside confrontation with Natasha Cloud.

Freedom was sitting virtually courtside and wearing a shirt that read: “WOMAN: noun, adult human female,” another public statement from the former center on the issue of transgender athletes participating in women’s sports.

The situation boiled over late in the third quarter. After a driving basket by Cloud and a subsequent timeout called by the Fever, the Chicago player approached the area where Freedom was sitting. A verbal confrontation followed, requiring security to intervene.

An Indiana staff member held Cloud back, while several security personnel escorted Kanter Freedom out of the seating area and eventually into the arena concourse. As he was leaving, the former NBA player repeatedly pointed to his shirt, also responding to boos from the crowd.

Kanter shares his side of the confrontation with Natasha Cloud

Freedom later provided a more detailed account of what allegedly happened in the moments leading up to the confrontation.

I’m standing up for women and that’s why they’re kicking me out. This is unacceptable

Enes Freedom Kanter

According to the former NBA player, it all started with a three-pointer by Sophie Cunningham, a player who has publicly spoken out in recent weeks against transgender athletes participating in women’s competitions.

Sophie Cunningham hit a three and I raised my hands to celebrate. Natasha came back, started yelling and told me, ‘She’s not going to sleep with you’

Enes Freedom Kanter

A female fan sitting next to him also claimed that Cloud was the first to approach. According to her account, Freedom had done nothing during the game up to that point and only responded after being confronted by the Sky player.

Freedom and Cloud, for that matter, had already been involved in a public dispute in the past. In 2023, the two traded shots on social media after comments from the player about the political and social situation in the United States.

The transgender athlete debate dividing the WNBA

The incident comes at a particularly delicate time for the WNBA, where the issue of transgender athletes has become increasingly prominent in the debate outside of the court.

There are currently no transgender athletes in the WNBA, but the discussion intensified after Sophie Cunningham spoke out against their participation in women’s sports. Since then, demonstrations have been held outside some arenas where the Fever have played, both in support of Cunningham’s position and in support of trans athletes.

A demonstration was also held before Sky-Fever, and Freedom himself was confronted outside Wintrust Arena.

The former NBA player had already escalated the dispute further in recent weeks, provocatively announcing his intention to declare himself eligible for the 2027 WNBA Draft, specifically to challenge policies regarding transgender athletes.

Caitlin Clark: “We didn’t see what happened”

On the other side, Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever chose not to further fuel the controversy. Clark explained that she did not see the confrontation because the team was focused on the timeout.

We were talking about the next play during our timeout

Caitlin Clark

Coach Stephanie White also tried to immediately shift the focus, emphasizing how important it is not to give incidents like this any additional visibility:

It’s a social media thing. It’s important not to give it any fuel

Stephanie White

The confrontation between Kanter Freedom and Natasha Cloud thus adds another chapter to a debate that has followed the WNBA virtually everywhere in recent weeks. And, at least for one night, it even managed to overshadow a 37-point performance by Caitlin Clark.