Enes Kanter Freedom, a former NBA player seeking to enter women’s basketball, was escorted out of Wintrust Arena during the third quarter of a Chicago Sky game Sunday after a verbal altercation with Sky guard Natasha Cloud. The incident occurred during a timeout when Cloud directed comments toward Freedom, who was sitting courtside. Freedom responded and stepped onto the court, prompting security to intervene and remove him, according to reports.
Security escorted Freedom out of the arena as fans booed loudly. Following his removal, Freedom posted on X, saying, “I just got kicked out of a @WNBA game for supporting WOMEN! Let that sink in, AMERICA!” He added, “It’s always women hating on other women.” Freedom also wore a shirt displaying the definition of “woman,” which Cloud reportedly did not appreciate.
After the game, Chicago Sky players Azura Stevens and Aicha Coulibaly declined to comment on the incident, with Stevens saying, “There was just a fan incident and the security handled it. We’re going to just focus on the game.” Freedom had been involved in earlier confrontations outside the arena, including a video posted showing a crowd of fans confronting him before the game. Some spectators shouted at him and flipped him off, with one saying, “You were sorry in the league!”
Freedom’s outspoken views on gender and politics have drawn criticism. He has previously called America “trash” and offered to buy Cloud a ticket to countries like China, Russia or Turkey, where she could experience what he describes as “tyranny.” His protests included posting a photo outside an arena restroom with the caption, “It’s halftime and I need to use the restroom… Rules are rules @WNBA.”
Requests for comment from the Chicago Sky and Wintrust Arena management were not immediately returned. It remains unclear whether Freedom will be allowed back into future games. Despite the controversy, he remains publicly unbothered and continues to voice his opinions on league policies and social issues.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
