Former NBA centre Enes Kanter Freedom has been ejected from an Indiana-Chicago WNBA game after Sky guard Natasha Cloud yelled and pointed in his direction late in the third quarter.
Freedom was sitting along the baseline on Sunday night (Monday AEST). He had on a black shirt that read “WOMAN noun. adult human female”.
The Fever called for a timeout after Cloud scored with 1:22 left in the third. Cloud then went to confront Kanter, who held his arms out and took one step on the court. Security and a handful of Sky players stepped in between the two before the dispute escalated.
Freedom was then escorted from the court area. He displayed his shirt as he walked toward the lobby. He had a conversation with a group of police officers before departing Wintrust Arena.
Freedom and Royce White, another former NBA player, declared themselves eligible for the WNBA draft this month, saying they identified as women.
“I’m transgender. I’m a woman … I identify as sometimes identifying as a woman for purposes of … professional basketball,” White previously said.
“I think I’d be unstoppable.”
Freedom said he and his team had reviewed the WNBA’s eligibility criteria and its approach to self-identification and inclusion, and argued that if declaring an identity were sufficient, then he met the requirements to compete.
The confrontation came in a game that Indiana star Sophie Cunningham was playing in. Cunningham has previously come under fire for perceived anti-trans stances.
“I got a lot of negative feedback about me hating trans,” Cunningham said.
“And I’m like, ‘I never once said that.’ I think that I am here to extend love.
“But I also think with that love is truth, being honest. And I want to protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn’t have to go against biological men.”
Protesters from both sides of the argument have started gathering outside WNBA games, sparking calls for more to be done to create a safe space for players and fans.
“Knowing that rallies are happening on both sides shows the platform that the W has and the stunts for attention are just continuing to try and ride the wave that we have,” New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart said.
“I want Liberty fans and even Indy fans that are going to come here tonight to be able to have this arena be a safe space.”
There has never been a transgender woman player in the WNBA.
AP
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