Enes Kanter Freedom ejected from WNBA game after courtside confrontation with Natasha Cloud

Enes Kanter Freedom, the former NBA player, was ejected from Sunday's Chicago Sky versus Indiana Fever game after a confrontation with Sky guard Natasha Cloud during a timeout, according to BBC Sport.

Kanter Freedom was seated courtside wearing a shirt emblazoned with 'WOMAN noun. Adult human female.' When Cloud pointed and shouted at him during the timeout, Kanter Freedom stood up with his arms outstretched and took steps toward the court. Security and other Sky players intervened, and he was escorted from the arena. Per BBC Sport, Kanter Freedom spoke with police officers before exiting Chicago's Wintrust Arena.

Kanter Freedom posted on X following the ejection: 'I just got kicked out of a WNBA game for supporting WOMEN! Let that sink in, AMERICA!' His message reflects a protest he announced earlier this month, when he declared his intention to enter next season's WNBA Draft to challenge the league's current eligibility guidelines for transgender women players.

Natasha Cloud responded on Threads after the game: '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.'

Sky head coach Tyler Marsh offered a different frame, telling reporters: 'There's so many good things about this league and so many good things about the play of these players, that if you come to a game, you should probably come to enjoy the basketball. That seems pretty simple to me. I think these players deserve that and have earned that. Being a former basketball player, you should probably understand and feel that, too.'

The confrontation arrived amid ongoing disruptions to WNBA games over transgender athlete eligibility. On Saturday, sex toys were thrown onto the court during two consecutive WNBA matches, including the Sky's win over Golden State. USA Today reported that the same group responsible for similar incidents last season (which interrupted six games in Atlanta, New York, and Los Angeles) has said it will continue to disrupt WNBA games to protest the league's policy on transgender athletes.

The WNBA operates under a collective bargaining agreement between the league and the players association. Per the CBA, 'Only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA.' BBC Sport reports there are currently no transgender athletes competing in the league. Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham was in uniform for Sunday's game and has made recent comments questioning the current eligibility rules.