The Chicago Sky has banned Enes Kanter Freedom, the former NBA player who was forced out of the league after no teams wanted to pick him up off waivers back in 2022 — and who launched a disingenuous bid to join the WNBA this year. The Sky's call was the right one, and it shows the organization is committed to player safety above all else.
Let's rewind a bit: Kanter Freedom has been making noise of late over his apparent wish to join the WNBA next season. He's claimed he identifies as a woman and plans to try out for the league next year, and many of his supporters appear to believe this is some kind of gotcha!-esque loophole in the league's eligibility requirements.
Those requirements, by the way, do require athletes to have either graduated college or exhausted their NCAA eligibility — neither of which Kanter Freedom has done. In fact, Kanter Freedom was ruled ineligible to play at the University of Kentucky because he received around $33,000 in extra benefits from Fenerbahçe in Turkey — something that Kentucky said was far beyond what's typical for athletes. His appeal was rejected in January 2011.
Apart from that, Kanter Freedom is still missing a lot: athletes don't "try out" for the WNBA, and teams aren't obligated to offer a chance at making a roster to Kanter Freedom just because he's claiming to be a woman and he wants one. He also hasn't demonstrated any actual intent to live his life as a woman.
Back to Chicago: Kanter Freedom and Sky guard Natasha Cloud (who nearly fell victim to the league's new CBA earlier this season), entered into a verbal spat during the third quarter of the team's game against the Indiana Fever on Sunday. Kanter Freedom approached and then stepped on the court (clearing the heads of credentialed photographers who were sitting baseline) and was immediately ejected from the game. Cloud later released a statement in support of transgender children.
Kanter Freedom's willingness to physically threaten and intimidate the athletes on the floor was cited as the chief reason he's being banned from Wintrust Arena. The Sky's owner Michael Alter later said that while he was made aware of Kanter Freedom's attendance at the game, no one knew where he would be sitting, and he didn't tell the team that Kanter Freedom would be there.
In the end, the Sky made the right call. The team has an obligation to its own athletes and those who visit the court. That may not stop Kanter Freedom from attending other WNBA games, but perhaps it will slow him down a little.
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