Enes Kanter has made several public demands to the WNBA following his ejection on Sunday evening.
The former NBA forward, who “declared” for the 2027 WNBA Draft, was kicked out of Sunday night’s Sky vs. Fever game in Chicago. Kanter sat courtside for Sunday night’s game. He was ejected after getting into a confrontation with Sky guard Natasha Cloud.
“Sophie Cunningham shot a three, and I put my hands up to celebrate,” Kanter told Outkick about what happened. “Literally, a couple possessions later, Natasha came back and started screaming and yelling and said, ‘She’s not gonna sleep with you.’
“And I was like, ‘I am not trying to sleep with her. I’m just here to protect women and support her.’ And then, obviously, after that she started yapping, and she started to walk towards me, and literally I just got up, and then I was like, ‘I’m just here to protect women, and that’s all.’”
Kanter has since been banned indefinitely from Sky home games. The WNBA has also said that he is not eligible to get picked in the 2027 WNBA Draft.
Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images.
On Wednesday, Kanter sent a public letter to the WNBA, demanding a full review of his ejection and a refund for his tickets, among other things.
Kanter issues demands to WNBA
The letter from Kanter is below:
I write to formally request an explanation of the basis for my ejection from the Chicago Sky–Indiana Fever game at Wintrust Arena on Sunday, August 23, and to request an explanation of the apparent selective enforcement of League and arena policies that raises serious concerns of viewpoint discrimination.
I attended the game as a paying courtside spectator. I wore a shirt stating, “WOMAN. Noun. Adult human female.” Late in the third quarter, Chicago Sky player Natasha Cloud turned from the court, approached my seat, and began yelling, cursing, and pointing in my direction. Security and Sky personnel intervened, and I was subsequently escorted from the arena.
As a former NBA player, I am thoroughly familiar with the rules governing player and spectator conduct. According to the WNBA, any physical or verbal alteration with a fan is treated as conduct detrimental to the game. The WNBA Office holds the authority to issue heavy fines or multi-game suspensions for players who cross the line into berating or cursing at spectators. Yet Ms. Cloud’s conduct of yelling, swearing, and pointing at a spectator (me) appears to have escaped any accountability and was, in fact, defended by her coach. Meanwhile, I remained fully aware that I could not step onto the court and ensured my presence and expression complied with applicable standards. In other words, I followed your rules.
In addition, according to the WNBA Fan Code of Conduct, a spectator should be issued a warning for any alleged violation before being forced to leave the game. I received no such warning prior to my ejection.
The circumstances of my removal only further highlight a pattern and practice of the League applying its rules unfairly. For example, why did arena personnel believe my ejection was warranted while Ms. Cloud appears to have escaped any accountability for clearly violating League rules against the use of profanity and insults directed at fans? Additionally, why was I not issued a warning for any alleged violation before being ejected, as required by League rules? A thorough explanation is greatly needed.
The need for clarity is heightened by my recent interactions with the WNBA. I have publicly announced my intention to make myself available for the WNBA Draft. I have also been an advocate for defending the integrity of women’s sports. The shirt I wore Sunday evening expressed that same position. I should not be treated differently because the League, its players, or personnel disagree with my viewpoint. The timing and circumstances of my removal beg a variety of questions: Did my WNBA Draft announcement, prior communications with the League, public advocacy for women’s sports, or the message displayed on my shirt play a role in the decision to eject me?
The events of the preceding several weeks make the answers to these questions even more urgent. On July 28, spectators outside the Seattle Storm v. Indiana Fever game were treated differently based on their viewpoints. While supporters of women’s sports were told they could not rally on the raised platform outside the arena, transgender activists were allowed to do so. Next, on August 16, spectators at an Atlanta Dream v. Indiana Fever game were instructed to cover shirts supporting women’s sports that were like mine, while allowing pro-transgender shirts to remain. Although the WNBA subsequently acknowledged that the intervention “should not have happened,” it was no more than a week later that I was removed from the August 23 WNBA game wearing a shirt expressing a similar viewpoint.
Viewed together, these incidents raise significant questions about the WNBA’s application of its own rules depending on the perceived viewpoints of its spectators. The League and its teams have long permitted and promoted expression concerning Black Lives Matter, Pride, voting, and other highly debated topics. It goes without saying that when I purchase a ticket to attend a WNBA game, I expect that I will not be discriminated against based on my viewpoint.
Accordingly, I request that the League provide a written response addressing the following:
- Identify the policy, rule, directive, or instruction relied upon in treating certain spectators, including me, differently when we express a viewpoint that appears unpopular with the WNBA;
- Identify whether the decision to eject me was made or requested by WNBA personnel, Chicago Sky personnel, Wintrust Arena personnel, security personnel, or another individual or entity;
- Confirm whether Ms. Cloud’s conduct has been or will be reviewed under any League policy governing player interactions with fans, including rules governing altercations that require player suspension, and state what accountability, if any, she, her team, and management will face;
- Provide a full refund of the cost of my courtside tickets; and
- Preserve all materials relating to this incident, including relevant video footage, incident or security reports, communications concerning my attendance or removal, communications referring to my WNBA Draft announcement or public advocacy for women’s sports, and any applicable policies or event-day directives.
I respectfully request a written response within five business days. The WNBA’s pattern of viewpoint discrimination against those, like me, who advocate for the protection of women and integrity of women’s sports has created a real and substantial conflict that must be addressed.
Sincerely,
Enes Kanter Freedom
