Former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom was removed from the Indiana-Chicago WNBA game on Sunday night following a confrontation with Sky guard Natasha Cloud in the third quarter. Kanter, seated along the baseline, was wearing a black shirt with the message “WOMAN noun. adult human female.”
The incident occurred after Cloud scored and engaged in a chest bump with her teammate before approaching Kanter, pointing and yelling at him. Security and Sky players intervened between the two as tensions escalated.
Chicago forward Azura Stevens downplayed the incident, emphasizing the team’s focus on the game despite the disruption. Cloud, concerned about being a distraction, met with team and league security afterward but did not speak to the media.
Kanter, escorted out by security, made a brief plea near the basket before leaving the court area. He interacted with police officers before departing the arena. Cloud later posted a supportive message for transgender individuals on a social media platform.
The WNBA has been at the center of debates regarding transgender women participating in the league. While the collective bargaining agreement restricts the WNBA to women, there is no specific language addressing gender identity or assigned sex at birth. Former NBA players like Kanter and Royce White have jokingly expressed interest in entering the WNBA draft as women.
The incident involving Kanter and Cloud underscores the ongoing discussions and controversies surrounding gender identity in sports. Such incidents have brought the league into the broader societal debate on transgender rights and inclusivity.