The Former NBA Center Was Removed After a Courtside Clash With Natasha Cloud Amid Debate Over Transgender Athletes
Former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom was ejected from a WNBA game Sunday night after a heated exchange with Chicago Sky guard Natasha Cloud, turning a matchup against the Indiana Fever into the latest flashpoint in a growing controversy surrounding transgender athletes and the league.
The confrontation unfolded late in the third quarter of Chicago’s 113-90 loss to Indiana at Wintrust Arena. Cloud had just scored with 1:22 remaining in the quarter when she turned toward Kanter Freedom, who was seated along the baseline, and began yelling and pointing in his direction.
Video from the arena showed Kanter Freedom standing with his arms out and stepping toward the court as several Sky players and security personnel moved between him and Cloud. Security ultimately escorted the former NBA center from the court area and later out of the arena.
Natasha Cloud Receives Support From Sky Coach
Exactly what was said before the confrontation remains disputed. Kanter Freedom later gave his own account of the encounter, while Cloud did not speak to reporters following the game.
Sky coach Tyler Marsh publicly backed Cloud afterward.
“I told her that we all embrace her as someone that protects our team and protects people that need to be protected,” Marsh said. “Tash is always going to stand on that, and we stand for Tash.”
Marsh also made clear that he believed spectators should allow players to focus on basketball.
“If you come to a game you should probably come to enjoy the basketball,” he said. “I think these players deserve that and have earned that.”
Cloud later posted a message supporting transgender people, writing in part that they “belong,” are loved and would “always be protected by me.”
Natasha Cloud gets into it with Enes Kanter during Fever/Sky.
— Underdog WNBA (@UnderdogWNBA) August 24, 2026
Kanter was escorted out of the arena.pic.twitter.com/ZKrYxVZVDu
Kanter Freedom Has Challenged WNBA Over Transgender Athletes
The confrontation came amid Kanter Freedom’s increasingly public campaign against transgender women competing in women’s sports.
At Sunday’s game, he wore a black T-shirt defining a woman as an “adult human female.” He had also participated in a demonstration outside the arena before tipoff.
Kanter Freedom and fellow former NBA player Royce White recently said they were declaring themselves eligible for the 2027 WNBA Draft as part of an effort to challenge the league’s position on gender and eligibility.
There has never been a transgender woman who has played in the WNBA. The league’s collective bargaining agreement states that only women are eligible to play, although it does not provide more detailed language addressing gender identity or sex assigned at birth.
The issue has attracted growing attention since Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham publicly said she opposed transgender girls and women competing in girls’ and women’s sports.
Previous reports say that a league source characterized efforts by Kanter Freedom and White to insert themselves into the debate as “publicity stunts” and said the league did not intend to give such efforts additional attention.
Caitlin Clark Leads Fever Past Chicago
The confrontation briefly overshadowed a dominant performance by Indiana star Caitlin Clark.
Clark finished with 37 points, including a career-high eight 3-pointers, as Indiana defeated Chicago 113-90. The Fever improved to 25-14 and had already secured a playoff berth.
Cloud led Chicago with 16 points and seven assists. The loss dropped the Sky to 15-22, snapped their three-game winning streak and eliminated them from playoff contention.
Kanter Freedom played 11 NBA seasons from 2011 through 2022 with the Utah Jazz, Oklahoma City Thunder, New York Knicks, Portland Trail Blazers and Boston Celtics. He became a U.S. citizen in 2021 and legally changed his name to Enes Kanter Freedom.
