Who Is Enes Kanter Freedom? Here’s Why He Recently Got Escorted Out of a WNBA Game

Former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom was ejected from a WNBA game on August 23 after wearing a controversial T-shirt with messaging perceived as targeting the transgender community, sparking a courtside confrontation.Chicago Sky guard Natasha Cloud confronted Kanter during a timeout, leading security to escort him out; he subsequently posted on social media defending his actions as supporting women's rights.The incident reflects ongoing tension in the WNBA over transgender athlete eligibility policies, with Natasha publicly defending the trans community while Enes has challenged league rules on equal application.Though Enes Kanter Freedom hasn’t played professionally since the 2021–22 season, the former NBA player has recently caused quite the controversy on the court thanks to…a T-shirt?During a game between the WNBA’s Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever at Wintrust Arena on Sunday, August 23, Enes sat courtside in a T-shirt that seemingly points jabs at the transgender community and reads, “WOMAN noun. adult human female.”Michael Reaves//Getty ImagesOf course, that didn’t sit well with Chicago Sky guard Natasha Cloud, who confronted Enes when a timeout was called late in the third quarter. According to footage from the game, Natasha was held back by her teammates, including DiJonai Carrington, as she shouted and pointed at him for his wardrobe choice. He also stretched his arms out and stepped closer to the court before security escorted him out of the venue.If you aren’t familiar with Enes, you might be wondering who he is and why he even pulled off this gesture in the first place. Allow me to explain…The Turkish American athlete was originally drafted in the NBA in 2011 and played for several teams, including the Utah Jazz, Oklahoma City Thunder, New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, and Portland Trail Blazers, until his final season in 2022. After he became a U.S. citizen in 2021, he legally changed his last name to “Freedom” and has since been a vocal supporter of conservative communities and media commentators.He recently made headlines for publicly challenging the WNBA’s eligibility policies when it comes to transgender athletes. On August 7, he declared himself eligible for the league’s 2027 draft, claiming, “I am definitely not here to mock, make fun of, or disrespect any community or personal choices. I’m simply asking that the current rules be applied equally to everyone, the rules that represent the very values many WNBA players and coaches have publicly advocated for.”Add Cosmopolitan as a preferred source in your Google search results.Use your Google account to add this to your settings.Has Enes Kanter Freedom responded to being kicked out of the WNBA game?Enes released a statement on social media after he was escorted out of the game, writing, “I just got kicked out of a @WNBA game for supporting WOMEN! Let that sink in, AMERICA!”His gesture comes nearly a month after Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham made headlines for her comments that seemingly opposed transgender athletes, whom she referred to as “biological men,” in the league. (She later clarified that she “never once said” she “hated trans” people.)Enes and Natasha’s courtside confrontation also isn’t the only disruption the WNBA has faced recently. The misogynistic trend of throwing dildos and sex toys on the court resurfaced during another WNBA game between the Los Angeles Sparks and Atlanta Dream on Friday, August 21, after several athletes—including Sophie—have spoken out against it.Has Natasha Cloud said anything about Enes Kanter Freedom?Though Natasha opted out of speaking to the press after the incident, she reportedly met with security in an attempt to protect the players down the road.While she hasn’t explicitly addressed Enes in a statement, she later shared a social post in solidarity with the trans community after coming to their defense during the game.Michael Reaves//Getty Images“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,” she wrote on Threads.Enes has yet to respond, if at all.