Former NBA Star Ejected From WNBA Game After Heated Clash With Player Over His Anti-Trans Shirt

A WNBA matchup between the Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever took an unexpected turn when Natasha Cloud confronted former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom over his anti-trans shirt.

Freedom came to the Sky-Fever matchup with his stance quite literally written across his chest. Seated courtside at Chicago’s Wintrust Arena, he wore a shirt declaring: “Woman. Noun. Adult human female.”

The flagrant provocation eventually got a response during a third-quarter timeout, when Cloud approached Freedom courtside and confronted him over the shirt. The exchange quickly became heated, with Freedom reportedly yelling back and stepping onto the court before security intervened and escorted him from the arena.

Video captured the heated exchange:

Later that evening, Freedom offered his version of events on social media, claiming he “got kicked out of a @WNBA game for supporting WOMEN!”

You can read Freedom’s full response below:

Freedom’s courtside protest wasn’t exactly an isolated moment. It comes amid his broader anti-trans campaign targeting the WNBA, including his push to join the league.

In an August 7 social media post, Freedom announced:

“I’m officially declaring myself a @WNBA prospect. If simply declaring who you are is all that’s required, then I meet every single requirement necessary to compete in the WNBA…”

Apparently, “Freedom” comes with some fine print. Turkish-born Enes Kanter adopted the surname after becoming a U.S. citizen to celebrate his citizenship and honor his so-called lifelong fight for human rights and free speech. Yes, I can feel the irony, too.

And, of course, his campaign came with its own overly produced anti-trans post:

I mean, imagine investing this much energy into opposing a trans WNBA player who does not currently exist.

Beneath all that production is Freedom’s objection to the WNBA’s eligibility guidelines, which do not outline specific requirements beyond identifying as a woman. Yet for all the alarm bells his campaign is ringing, there has never been an out trans player in the league. In other words, Freedom has turned transgender women into the target of a controversy that hasn’t actually materialized.

And then there’s the part I can’t quite get past: Freedom isn’t playing professional basketball either. His NBA career ended after teams stopped signing him amid his outspoken political activism and criticism of the Chinese government and the NBA. Apparently, not being on a roster leaves plenty of time to worry about hypothetical WNBA rosters.

So, yes, Freedom certainly has time to spare.

Fortunately, social media had a few minutes, too, and users wasted none of them cheering on Cloud’s response:

And as for Natasha “Tash” Cloud, she had something to say—and she didn’t hold back.

After skipping the postgame press conference, Cloud took to Threads to voice her support for the transgender community:

And suddenly, the loudest message of the night wasn’t written on a shirt.

Cloud is no stranger to making an impact on—or off—the court. The veteran point guard won a WNBA championship with the Washington Mystics in 2019, has earned multiple All-Defensive Team honors, and made history as the first WNBA player to sign an endorsement deal with Converse. She’s also become one of the league’s prominent voices for social justice.

And if there was any question about how the Sky felt about Cloud speaking up, her coach quickly put that to rest. Chicago Sky coach Tyler Marsh told NBC News that he assured Cloud the confrontation was not a distraction for the team.

Marsh summed up the Sky’s support for Cloud in no uncertain terms:

“I told her that we all embrace her as someone that protects our team, and protects people that need to be protected, and so Tash is always going to stand on that, and we stand for Tash.”

In the end, Freedom can keep debating who belongs on the WNBA court. Cloud, meanwhile, doesn’t have to debate it—she’s already there. Stay pressed, Enes.