Chicago Sky Bans Enes Kanter Freedom From Home Games After Courtside Confrontation

The Chicago Sky said on Aug. 25 that they have banned former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom from their home games after he was ejected during a Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) game following a confrontation with Sky guard Natasha Cloud.

The decision followed an incident on Sunday during the Sky’s game against the Indiana Fever, when a timeout was called with 1:22 remaining in the third quarter.

Cloud celebrated a basket with her teammate Aicha Coulibaly before turning toward Kanter Freedom, who was seated along the baseline wearing a black T-shirt that read, “WOMAN noun. Adult human female.”

As she approached Kanter Freedom, Cloud began pointing and yelling. He then stood with his arms outstretched and stepped onto the court before security personnel, game officials, and several Sky players moved between the two.

Officials then signaled for Kanter Freedom to be ejected, and security escorted him from his courtside seat.

Chicago Sky owner Michael Alter said during an Aug. 25 press conference that Kanter Freedom would not be allowed inside Wintrust Arena for Sky games “unless sometime in the future he’s able to prove to us to our satisfaction that he is able to abide by our rules without being a potential threat.”

Alter said Kanter Freedom attended the game intending to provoke players and attract attention.

“It was pretty clear to us that his purpose of coming here was trying to be provocative and just see how much attention he could get,” Alter told reporters.

He also said that the decision to ban Kanter Freedom from future games was based on safety considerations rather than the player’s political views.

Kanter Freedom said in an Aug. 24 post on X that he was removed from the game for supporting women.

In another post on X earlier that day, Kanter Freedom shared a photo of himself wearing the black T-shirt, captioning it: “Careful what you wish for, WNBA. Freedom of speech never looked this good. Somehow controversial.”

Cloud said in an Aug. 25 post on Threads: “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.”

Kanter Freedom played ⁠center for 11 years in the NBA for five teams from 2011–12 to 2021–22 and averaged 11.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 21.5 minutes in 748 regular-season games (259 ​starts).

Kanter Freedom and Royce White, another former NBA player, have declared for the WNBA draft, saying they identify as women.

“My team and I have carefully examined the WNBA’s eligibility criteria and governing framework surrounding self-identification and inclusion,” Kanter Freedom said in an Aug. 7 post on X. “Based on the current guidelines, I can and am officially declaring my eligibility for the upcoming WNBA draft in April 2027.”

In response, the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA), the union representing WNBA players, said it supports “justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.”

“Hate, abuse, and demonization of any person or group of people, including transgender people, only fuel fear, division, and harm,” the union said, adding that it is committed to protecting women’s sports while “creating transformational change.”

The WNBA’s 2026 collective bargaining agreement states that only women are eligible to play in the league, but it does not further define the term “women.”

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.