CHICAGO — Former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom was ejected from Sunday’s game between the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky after a verbal altercation with Sky guard Natasha Cloud.
Kanter Freedom was sitting courtside in a black T-shirt that read: “WOMAN noun. adult human female.” When a timeout was called late in the third quarter, Cloud began walking toward Kanter Freedom and shouting at him. He was on his feet with arms outstretched and began to take steps toward the court before security cut him off and directed him to the leave the court
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Kanter Freedom pumped his fist and mocked Cloud by imitating her talking with his hand. While arguing that he should not have to leave, he waved his arms to the crowd before holding out his shirt while exiting.
He had a conversation with a group of police officers before departing Wintrust Arena.
In the wake of Fever guard Sophie Cunningham’s comments on transgender athletes that started a national debate, Kanter Freedom, who played 11 years in the NBA, declared himself eligible for the WNBA draft, saying he identifies as a woman. Another former NBA player, Royce White, did as well.
The collective bargaining agreement signed in March states that “only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA.” There is no further definition of a woman, and the WNBA has no publicly available policy governing eligibility of transgender or intersex athletes.
Information from ESPN’s Katie Barnes and The Associated Press was used in this report.
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