The Daily BS • Bo Snerdley Cuts Through It!
The Daily BS • Bo Snerdley Cuts Through It!

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‘No idea what they’re about to face’: Kanter Freedom reveals what really happened in fiery WNBA clash that got him tossed

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BS BULLETIN:

  • Enes Kanter Freedom was ejected from Sunday’s Fever-Sky game after a heated confrontation with Chicago’s Natasha Cloud.
  • Freedom was wearing a shirt defining “woman” as “adult human female.”
  • He says he still intends to challenge the WNBA’s eligibility rules and warns the league has “no idea what they’re about to face.”

Enes Kanter Freedom went to a WNBA game Sunday night as a spectator.

He left escorted by security.

If the former NBA center gets his way, the next time the league tries to throw him out, he may be wearing a uniform. Freedom’s increasingly bizarre battle with the WNBA over transgender eligibility erupted courtside Sunday during the Indiana Fever’s 113-90 victory over the Chicago Sky at Wintrust Arena.

The 6-foot-10 former NBA player was sitting along the baseline wearing a black T-shirt that read: “WOMAN. Noun. Adult human female.” Late in the third quarter, Sky guard Natasha Cloud scored, celebrated with teammate Aicha Coulibaly and then turned toward Freedom. Video shows Cloud approaching while pointing and yelling. Freedom stood up, held out his arms and stepped onto the edge of the court before players and security got between them. Freedom was eventually escorted from the arena.

Freedom gave his version of the confrontation Monday morning.

“I didn’t say a word to her,” he told OutKick, claiming Cloud directed a vulgar remark at him before repeatedly cursing.

“I was actually shocked,” Freedom said.

Cloud has not publicly detailed what she said during the confrontation. Sky coach Tyler Marsh defended his player afterward, saying Cloud is someone who “protects our team and protects people that need to be protected.”

Chicago forward Azura Stevens dismissed the confrontation as a “fan incident,” saying security handled it and the team was focused on basketball. But calling Freedom just another “fan” leaves out one rather large — approximately 6-foot-10 — detail.

He’s trying to get into their league.

Freedom announced earlier this month that he intends to enter the player pool for the 2027 WNBA Draft as part of his challenge to the league over transgender eligibility. He even sent the WNBA a letter formally making his case.

Freedom’s protest began amid the uproar surrounding Indiana Fever player Sophie Cunningham, who has argued that transgender women should not compete in women’s basketball. Freedom praised Cunningham as an “American hero” and decided to test what he views as a contradiction in the league’s approach. “If simply declaring who you are is all that’s required,” Freedom said when announcing his effort, “then I meet every single requirement necessary to compete in the WNBA.”

The WNBA’s collective bargaining agreement states that “only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA.” But the publicly available CBA does not spell out a detailed transgender eligibility standard. That ambiguity is precisely what Freedom says he wants the league to address. And he isn’t merely threatening to show up at draft night wearing heels. Freedom says he’s spoken with other former NBA, G League and European players interested in joining his effort. He has also pointed to the WNBA’s dramatically improving salary structure as another reason male basketball players could theoretically have an incentive to test the league’s rules.

The WNBA has rejected the premise behind the campaign, characterizing such efforts as bad-faith attempts to mock or marginalize others. Freedom insists he is serious. “I am prepared to play,” he said Saturday.

Then came his warning to the league: “They have no idea what they’re about to face.” Less than 48 hours later, he was being escorted out of a WNBA arena.

And instead of ending the stunt, Sunday’s confrontation has handed Freedom exactly what any political provocateur dreams of: A viral video, a furious opponent and millions of people suddenly arguing about the question he wanted them arguing about in the first place.

This has reached levels of absurdity that even the writers of “South Park” might reject as too obvious.

DBS WIRE SOURCES:

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