Topline
Former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom was ejected from Sunday night’s game between the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky after a confrontation with WNBA player Natasha Cloud, in an incident that comes amid Kanter’s recent mocking stance about transgender athletes by announcing he would “declare” for the 2027 WNBA Draft.
Key Facts
Kanter attended Sunday’s game wearing a black shirt with the text “WOMAN noun. adult human female.”
During the third quarter, after Cloud had scored for her team, she turned and walked towards where the former NBA player was seated, appearing to shout something and point at him.
Kanter stood up from his seat and walked towards Cloud with his arms spread wide near courtside before security staff and other Chicago Sky players intervened.
Kanter appeared to gesture at the crowd as he was forced by security to leave the arena.
In a post on X, the former NBA player wrote: “I just got kicked out of a WNBA game for supporting WOMEN! Let that sink in, AMERICA!”
What Have Chicago Sky Players And Officials Said?
In her post-game interview, Chicago’s Azura Stevens was asked about the controversy, but she dismissed the matter, saying: “There was just a fan incident and the security handled it, and we’re just going to focus on the game.” Sky coach Tyler Marsh backed Cloud when asked about the incident in the post-game press conference, saying: “I told her that we all embrace her as someone that protects our team and protects people that need to be protected.” When asked if he had a message for Kanter and others like him, Marsh spoke about the “good things” in the league and said: “If you come to a game, you should probably come to enjoy the basketball.”
tangent
Indiana sailed to a 113-90 win against Chicago on Sunday, powered by Caitlin Clark’s 37 points and Kelsey Mitchell’s 30. With this loss, the Sky are now out of contention for a Playoff spot. When asked about the incident, Clark said, “I didn’t see it, we were talking about the next play in our huddle…so I think that’s probably a question for Chicago.”
Key Background
The controversy regarding transgender players in the WNBA began after Indiana Fever player Sophie Cunningham made comments about not being in favor of allowing transgender players in the WNBA in a broader interview with ESPN. The comments eventually snowballed into a culture war issue after Fox News-owned sports outlet OutKick and even the White House were drawn into the matter, with several other right-wing online figures backing Cunningham. Kanter and another former NBA player, Royce White, further fanned the matter after announcing they would “declare” for the WNBA draft because the league’s eligibility rules allow for it—although it’s unclear how they came to this conclusion. The WNBA has not yet clarified its stance on the issue, but Commissioner Cathy Engelbert has sent out a note saying the issue would be discussed by a task force of team presidents and general managers.
further reading
Ex-NBA Players Say They’re ‘Declaring’ For WNBA As League Considers Transgender Player Policy (Forbes)
WNBA Viewership Spikes As Controversy Over Transgender Players Persists (Forbes)