The WNBA witnessed a viral moment when former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom was escorted out during the Chicago Sky vs Indiana Fever game on Sunday, August 23, after a heated courtside disruption. 

According to a viral X post shared by Underdog WNBA, Freedom got into a heated argument with Sky guard Natasha Cloud towards the end of the third quarter of the game. 

The Fever called for a timeout right after Sophie Cunningham scored a three-pointer. And that is when Cloud turned to confront Freedom. The former NBA player, who sat at the baseline, was wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with the definition of ‘woman’.

According to the clip posted by Underdog WNBA on August 23, Freedom was seen putting one step inside the court with his arms stretched wide.

The Sky guard appeared to be yelling at the former NBA player. Teammate DiJonai Carrington and Fever security held her back to de-escalate the situation while Freedom was escorted out.

The match ended with the Indiana Fever defeating the Chicago Sky 113-90. Per Indy Star, Sky head coach Tyler Marsh expressed his support for Natasha Cloud during the post-match presser.

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

This is not the first time Freedom has pulled a stunt that has gone viral in the WNBA community. And considering his public declaration regarding his wish to join the 2027 WNBA Draft, it is unlikely to be his last.

Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White’s 2027 WNBA plans

For the uninitiated, Freedom’s stance comes from his decision to participate in the WNBA Draft next year. The issue stemmed from the WNBA’s official eligibility rules, which simply state that only players who are women are eligible to play in the league 

The former NBA player referred to the ambiguity associated with the WNBA’s definition of the term ‘woman’ to argue for eligible to enter the league next season by identifying as women.

After Freedom made his declaration, former NBA player Royce White also made a similar declaration. In an X post shared by Freedom on August 18, the former NBA player claimed that he has spoken to multiple players who are willing to follow his lead.

“So far, I’ve spoken with: 2 Former NBA players, 3 G-League players, 3 European players,” Freedom captioned his X post. “They have all said that if the @WNBA doesn’t change the rules, they’re ready to join the movement and are considering coming out as women and putting their names in the 2027 #WNBA Draft.”

Freedom pointed to the disparity between player remunerations, stating that while G-league players were paid $45,000 a year, top WNBA players were earning up to $1.4 million.