Enes Kanter Freedom, a former NBA player who has declared himself eligible for the 2027 WNBA Draft amid the transgender athlete debate surrounding the league, was ejected from the Chicago Sky vs. Indiana Fever game on Sunday, Aug. 23, after getting into a shouting match with Sky guard Natasha Cloud at Wintrust Arena in Chicago.
After scoring a basket with 1:22 remaining in the third quarter, Cloud approached Kanter Freedom during a timeout.
He approached the court and security quickly surrounded him while teammates held Cloud back.
Kanter Freedom was then removed from the game.
He had been wearing a shirt that said: "WOMAN noun. adult human female."
Natasha Cloud vs Enes Kanter pic.twitter.com/0xzqCMK17x https://t.co/MR8oEWf3ZO
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) August 24, 2026
Careful what you wish for, @WNBA
— Enes Kanter FREEDOM (@EnesFreedom) August 24, 2026
Freedom of speech never looked this good. 💅🏽
Somehow controversial.🤷🏻♂️ pic.twitter.com/TZRa2M3mxc
How Enes Kanter responded on social media to Natasha Cloud incident
After the game, Kanter Freedom posted on X: I just got kicked out of a @WNBA game for supporting WOMEN! Let that sink in America!"
I just got kicked out of a @WNBA game for supporting WOMEN!
— Enes Kanter FREEDOM (@EnesFreedom) August 24, 2026
Let that sink in, AMERICA! 🇺🇸
How Natasha Cloud responded on social media to Enes Kanter Freedom incident
Cloud posted on Threads after the game: "To every trans kid/person, You are apart 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."
View on Threads
Transgender athletes in sports debate surrounds WNBA
The Cloud vs Kanter Freedom spat has added fuel to the fire of both sides in a national transgender debate that has taken over the WNBA.
Pablo Torre and Clay Travis, two prominent sports media members, showcased the divide in an interaction on X after the Cloud vs Kanter Freedom incident.
I think we can all agree that stepping out toward the baseline in the middle of a WNBA game, getting ejected on purpose, and immediately claiming to be a victim is insanely pathetic https://t.co/mVcZKlPneQ
— Pablo Torre 👀 (@PabloTorre) August 24, 2026
Pablo, what is a woman? https://t.co/ys4I3PibRM
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) August 24, 2026
A category where >99% of the people were born with a vagina. And the other <1% are being used as bait to distract from the most financially corrupt regime in U.S. history https://t.co/KaJir7s2Dm
— Pablo Torre 👀 (@PabloTorre) August 24, 2026
What would you call these other 1%? And how would you define them biologically? I know that science is very important to you. I would call them men who are pretending to be women. That’s fine. They can also pretend to be vampires or Jedis. But it doesn’t make it real.
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) August 24, 2026
Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Enes Kanter Freedom ejected after WNBA altercation with Natasha Cloud
