Chicago Sky owner Michael Alter doubled down on his decision to bar Enes Kanter Freedom from future WNBA games at Wintrust Arena, claiming the former NBA player was no more entitled to a warning than someone who would &#8220;shoot a gun at someone.&#8221;
Alter told OutKick that Freedom had been identified as a threat when he stood up and approached the court, hands raised — at Sunday&#8217;s game featuring the Indiana Fever and the Chicago Sky — in response to comments shouted at him by Sky guard Natasha Cloud. He went on to suggest that Freedom had not been given a &#8220;warning&#8221; before he was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/enes-kanter-freedom-banned-from-chicago-sky-home-games-as-potential-threat">ejected from the game</a> because the threat he represented was so serious.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Chicago Sky owner Michael Alter says Enes Kanter Freedom became a “potential threat” when he stepped toward the court, defending the decision to eject him without warning.
Asked why Freedom wasn’t warned first, Alter compared it to shooting a gun: “Certain threats don’t get… <a href="https://t.co/95l3PP8Iir">pic.twitter.com/95l3PP8Iir</a>
— OutKick (@Outkick) <a href="https://x.com/Outkick/status/2092738568309682530?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 26, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;He wasn’t given a warning because certain threats don’t get warnings. He was given a lot of leeway, as I was saying, he was sitting there and he was trash talking her and all that, so he was certainly given leeway, but at a certain point, when somebody — I mean, to use an extreme example, when you shoot a gun at someone, you don’t get a warning, ‘Don’t do that again.’ Your action doesn’t deserve a warning. You take action that becomes a threat, you don’t get a warning,&#8221; Alter said.
Freedom responded to the wild comparison, saying of Alter, &#8220;I mean, he needs to check himself.&#8221;
The former NBA player — who has declared for the 2027 WNBA draft based on the league&#8217;s vague guidelines regarding gender identification — said he may pursue legal action against the team and its owner.
&#8220;I’m not talking about against the WNBA, but I think against Michael Alter and the Chicago Sky for sure. Like, I don’t think they know what they’re talking about,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Me and my legal team will definitely be taking actions against Chicago Sky and Michael Alter.&#8221;
Freedom said he was at the game to support Fever shooting guard Sophie Cunningham, whom he calls a friend, who has been the target of harassment since she went public with her support for biological women and girls in athletics.

Indiana Fever v Chicago Sky

WNBA Owner Compares Enes Kanter Freedom To Shooting A Gun

WNBA Owner Claims Enes Kanter Freedom Posed Threat Equal To Firing A Gun

Basketball

Enes Kanter Freedom

Guns

Politics

Threat

Transgender

WNBA

Former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom has been banned from future Chicago Sky home games after a confrontation with guard Natasha Cloud led to his ejection from Sunday&#8217;s game.
Sky owner Michael Alter told local reporters on Tuesday that Freedom would not be allowed to attend the team&#8217;s games at Chicago&#8217;s Wintrust Arena unless he was first &#8220;able to prove to our satisfaction that he is able to abide by our rules without being a potential threat.&#8221;
&#8220;He has demonstrated to us, unequivocally, that he has the potential to be a threat,&#8221; Alter said.
&#8220;The fact that we&#8217;re having this conversation to me is just really sad,&#8221; Alter continued. &#8220;It&#8217;s a shame that we&#8217;re spending as much time as we are on this and not the wonderful things that are happening in our league — or even some of the not-so-wonderful things, like the Sky not making the playoffs for the third year in a row. I&#8217;m sure those are the things we should be talking about.&#8221;
Alter accused Freedom of attending the game to provoke a reaction and attract attention.
&#8220;It was pretty clear to us that his purpose of coming here was trying to be provocative, to see how much attention he could get and stir up,&#8221; Alter said.
Alter <a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/chicago-sky/2026/08/25/sky-ban-enes-kanter-freedom-from-games-according-to-principal-owner-michael-alter">added</a> that he interviewed people seated near Freedom who told him that Freedom initiated the exchange by directing basketball-related trash talk at Cloud.
Freedom, who attended the game wearing a shirt reading &#8220;WOMAN. Noun. Adult human female,&#8221; claimed that he&#8217;d attended the game to support Indiana Fever shooting guard Sophie Cunningham, who&#8217;s been the target of protests since she declared her stance on defending biological females and girls in athletics. Sunday&#8217;s confrontation came after he raised both arms in celebration of a Cunningham three-pointer.
He said that during the next possession, Cloud approached the baseline where he was seated and shouted at him, saying that Cunningham was never going to sleep with him. Freedom, who said that Cunningham is just a friend, stood up and stepped toward the court — but a number of players and officials stepped between him and Cloud, and he was escorted from the arena before things could escalate further.
After a brief conversation with security, Freedom left the venue.

Enes Kanter Freedom Banned From Chicago Sky Home Games As ‘Potential Threat’

Chicago

Sports

Women's sports

The WNBA has a rule saying only women can play. What it doesn&#8217;t have, at least publicly, is an explanation of what exactly makes someone a woman.
Enter Enes Kanter Freedom.
The former NBA player is putting that question to the test after ESPN reported that multiple sources around the league said he and fellow former NBA player Royce White are not eligible to play in the WNBA.
There&#8217;s a reason two former NBA players suddenly want into the women&#8217;s league.
Both men have declared themselves women and eligible for the 2027 WNBA Draft. The move is meant to force the league to confront a question that has been hanging over it for weeks.
Who qualifies as a woman under WNBA rules?
Article XIII, Section 1(a) of the WNBA&#8217;s collective bargaining agreement states: &#8220;Only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA.&#8221;
That&#8217;s it.
<div id="attachment_1164645" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1164645" class="wp-image-1164645 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/GettyImages-2291740286-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/GettyImages-2291740286-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/GettyImages-2291740286-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/GettyImages-2291740286-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/GettyImages-2291740286.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Michael Reaves/Getty Images</div>
The agreement does not go on to define the word &#8220;woman,&#8221; and the WNBA does not have a publicly available policy governing the eligibility of transgender or intersex athletes, according to ESPN.
So when Fox News host Laura Ingraham pressed Freedom Monday night on whether he is actually a transgender woman, Freedom turned the question back to the league&#8217;s rules.
&#8220;Listen Section 13 right Uh Article 13 Section 1 says if you identify as a woman then you&#8217;re allowed to play,&#8221; Freedom said.
Ingraham asked whether that meant he was identifying as a woman.
&#8220;I identify as a woman, sure, yes,&#8221; Freedom responded.
Freedom&#8217;s description goes further than what the CBA actually says. The agreement does not state that simply identifying as a woman makes someone eligible. It says only that players who are women may play, without publicly explaining how the league determines who meets that requirement.
And that&#8217;s the loophole Freedom is trying to expose.
&#8220;But right now if you identify as a woman you&#8217;re allowed to play and I am identifying as a woman and I am I should be allowed to play it,&#8221; Freedom told Ingraham.
The WNBA didn&#8217;t find itself answering questions about transgender athletes because of Freedom, however.
That started with Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham.
Cunningham set off a national debate earlier this summer when she spoke out against men competing against women and girls.
&#8220;I got a lot of negative feedback about me hating trans. And I&#8217;m like, I never once said that,&#8221; Cunningham told ESPN. &#8220;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&#8217;t have to go against biological men.&#8221;
Cunningham later described her position as &#8220;common sense.&#8221; Her comments turned what had largely been a broader political debate into a very real WNBA headache.
Protests and counterprotests began following the Fever on the road. Other players weighed in. The league was suddenly facing questions about who should be allowed to compete in women&#8217;s basketball.
There was just one problem. There wasn&#8217;t actually a transgender player attempting to enter the WNBA.
Freedom and White decided to change that.
Freedom played 11 seasons in the NBA, while White was a first-round NBA Draft pick in 2012. Both men declared themselves women and eligible for the 2027 WNBA Draft, transforming a largely hypothetical debate into a direct challenge to the league&#8217;s eligibility language.
Freedom then took the fight courtside.
He attended Sunday&#8217;s Indiana Fever game against the Chicago Sky wearing a black shirt that read, &#8220;WOMAN noun. adult human female.&#8221;
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During a timeout late in the third quarter, Sky guard Natasha Cloud confronted Freedom, and Freedom took several steps toward the court before security intervened and escorted him from Wintrust Arena.
&#8220;I just got kicked out of a @WNBA game for supporting WOMEN!&#8221; Freedom wrote afterward. &#8220;Let that sink in, AMERICA!&#8221;
A day later, ESPN reported that sources around the league said Freedom and White would not be eligible to play.
ESPN also reported that there are currently no cases requiring the WNBA to make an eligibility determination and that the league plans to continue researching and reviewing the issue. No known transgender woman has played in the WNBA.
That leaves Freedom with essentially the same question he started with: if the WNBA says he isn&#8217;t eligible, what exactly is the rule that makes him ineligible?
Freedom said he&#8217;ll follow it if the league spells it out.
&#8220;If they ever come out and say &#8216;Okay we are changing the rules,&#8217; I respect their decision,&#8221; Freedom told Ingraham. &#8220;I will, you know, follow the rules.&#8221;
For now, the league&#8217;s written rule remains remarkably simple: only women can play in the WNBA.
Freedom&#8217;s challenge is just as simple.
Define one.

Enes Kanter Freedom Responds After WNBA Says He’s Not A Woman

Sophie Cunningham

What Is A Woman

Chicago Sky guard Natasha Cloud posted a message supporting transgender-identifying people after her viral confrontation with former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom during Sunday night&#8217;s game ended with Freedom being ejected from the arena.
&#8220;<span class="x1lliihq x1plvlek xryxfnj x1n2onr6 xyejjpt x15dsfln xi7mnp6 x193iq5w xeuugli x1fj9vlw x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x x1i0vuye xjohtrz xo1l8bm xw2npq5 x1yc453h" dir="auto">To every trans kid/person, <span class="x1lliihq x1plvlek xryxfnj x1n2onr6 xyejjpt x15dsfln xi7mnp6 x193iq5w xeuugli x1fj9vlw x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x x1i0vuye xjohtrz xo1l8bm xw2npq5 x1yc453h" dir="auto">You are apart [sic] of MY community &amp; tribe,&#8221; Cloud wrote in a <a href="https://www.threads.com/@t__cloud9/post/DcaByfOEQ3I?xmt=AQG0XWBinCGeIgt5PW0YPLuQ_rvf9e3PLVcGtZ948kU9zHgBF32l6eeZDjQR2dz8Tt8Fuug&amp;slof=1">post</a> on Threads. &#8220;You belong. You’re loved. You’re seen. You’re perfect as you are. &amp; you will always be protected by me.&#8221;
Her post came shortly after a mid-game confrontation in which she shouted at Freedom, who was seated by the baseline wearing a T-shirt defining a woman as an &#8220;adult human female.&#8221;
Cloud had just scored a basket with just over a minute left in the third quarter of Chicago&#8217;s game against the Indiana Fever when the Fever called a timeout. Cloud used the stoppage to approach Freedom and shout at him from the court. Freedom stood up and raised both arms while stepping toward the court before players and officials got between them.
Freedom was ultimately <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/enes-kanter-freedom-booted-from-wnba-game-after-confrontation">escorted from his courtside seat</a> and spoke briefly with police before leaving Chicago&#8217;s Wintrust Arena. He later told OutKick that he believed his shirt had provoked Cloud&#8217;s outburst.
&#8220;I was cheering for my friend Sophie [Cunningham] because when she shot that three, I put my hands in the air,&#8221; Freedom told the outlet. &#8220;A couple possessions later, [Cloud] came back and said, ‘She’s not gonna sleep with you.’ And I was shocked. I was like, ‘Listen, I’m not trying to sleep with her. I think she’s awesome. She’s a good friend.’ But I think it has a lot to do with my shirt. I was obviously wearing a shirt explaining what a woman is, and I think that had a lot to do with what she thinks about women. I think it triggered her a lot.&#8221;
Fever shooting guard Sophie Cunningham has been the target of protests since she stood up for protecting women and girls in sports, and a number of other WNBA players and coaches have taken the opposite position.
The issue has also sparked confrontations involving fans. A Seattle Storm co-owner was accused of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/wnba-co-owner-accused-of-cursing-out-teen-girls-over-xx-xy-shirts">scolding teenage girls</a> who wore XX-XY Athletics gear to a game, while a mother and daughter attending an Atlanta Dream game recently said they were told to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/see-it-sophie-cunningham-fans-targeted-again">cover up</a> their XX-XY shirts or leave the arena.
Freedom entered the debate after reviewing the WNBA&#8217;s eligibility rules, claiming that he met the qualifications to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/another-former-nba-player-says-hes-entering-wnba-draft-threatens-discrimination-suit">declare</a> for the 2027 WNBA draft. Fellow former NBA player Royce White followed with a nearly identical announcement, adding that he &#8220;sometimes&#8221; identified as a transgender woman and planned to sue for discrimination if he went undrafted.

WNBA Player Makes Transgender Pledge After Enes Kanter Freedom Confrontation

WNBA Player Responds After Dustup That Got Enes Kanter Freedom Ousted From Game

Women's Basketball

Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy ripped Enes Kanter Freedom after the former NBA player&#8217;s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/enes-kanter-freedom-reveals-what-led-to-wnba-courtside-confrontation?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=Sports&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Enes+Kanter+Freedom+Reveals+What+Led+To+WNBA+Courtside+Confrontation">courtside clash</a> with Chicago Sky guard Natasha Cloud on Sunday night.
Portnoy said that while he agrees with Freedom&#8217;s stance on keeping men out of women&#8217;s sports, he argued that Freedom is &#8220;making this issue about him.&#8221; Freedom and Cloud engaged in a viral confrontation late in the third quarter of the game between the Sky and the Fever, and Freedom was ejected from the arena.
&#8220;I don&#8217;t think boys should be allowed to play in girls sports. I also think Enes Kanter is an absolute clown for making this issue about him,&#8221; Portnoy <a href="https://x.com/stoolpresidente/status/2091696406863974812">wrote</a> on X.
The famed sports commentator argued that Freedom&#8217;s action took the spotlight off of women playing in Sunday night&#8217;s game as Freedom&#8217;s fiery confrontation drew attention away from Fever star Caitlin Clark&#8217;s dominant performance of 37 points and 10 assists.
&#8220;We should be talking about how Caitlin had another double double 37 and 10,&#8221; Portnoy added.
Some social media users, however, pointed out that very few people would have paid attention to the Fever&#8217;s game against the Sky if the clash between Freedom and Cloud hadn&#8217;t taken place.
&#8220;Except not even the WNBA wants to talk about Clark having a double double 37 and 10. That&#8217;s what led to all of this in the first place,&#8221; conservative commentator Stephen L. Miller wrote. &#8220;Portnoy isn&#8217;t wrong, but it&#8217;s the WNBA that caused all of this.&#8221;
Conservative activist Billboard Chris slammed Portnoy, arguing that Freedom is &#8220;defending women and girls from the cult of trans in the most effective way he possibly can.&#8221;
&#8220;I have never cared about a double double in the WNBA and I never will, like 99% of men,&#8221; he added. &#8220;But I care about this. Those women should all thank him for improving their ratings and their future paychecks.&#8221;
Freedom sat courtside at the game to support Cunningham, wearing a shirt that stated the definition of a woman as “adult human female.” He claimed that Cloud began shouting at him shortly after he celebrated a three-pointer made by Cunningham.
“Sophie Cunningham shot a three, and I put my hands up to celebrate. Literally, a couple possessions later, Natasha came back and started screaming and yelling and said, ‘She’s not gonna sleep with you.’” Kanter told OutKick. “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.’”
Portnoy has been one of the WNBA&#8217;s biggest critics, regularly ripping the league&#8217;s inexplicable bias against Clark. He also defended Fever guard Sophie Cunningham after she was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/black-player-clocks-sophie-cunningham-then-complains-about-white-privilege-after-ejection">leveled</a> by Sky player DiJonai Carrington during a game earlier this month. Cunningham has become the center of attention in the WNBA following her comments on keeping men out of women&#8217;s sports last month. But Freedom&#8217;s response to the WNBA, including his declaration for the WNBA draft, is not helping solve issues in the league, according to Portnoy.
Freedom played his final years for the Boston Celtics, Portnoy&#8217;s favorite team, and in 2019, Portnoy said he was excited for the 6-foot-10 center to join the Celtics.
&#8220;I love Kanter. I love this new look Celtics team. Back to guys with heart who want to be here and win,&#8221; Portnoy <a href="https://x.com/stoolpresidente/status/1145758476012048384">said</a> after Freedom signed with Boston.

Portnoy Enes

Dave Portnoy Calls Enes Kanter Freedom An ‘Absolute Clown’ After WNBA Courtside Clash

Dave Portnoy

Indiana Fever

Former NBA player and current WNBA prospect Enes Kanter Freedom said Chicago Sky guard Natasha Cloud made a crude remark toward him. Moments later, the two were in a viral courtside confrontation that ended with Freedom being <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/enes-kanter-freedom-booted-from-wnba-game-after-confrontation?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Virginia+Kruta&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Enes+Kanter+Freedom+Booted+From+WNBA+Game+After+Confrontation">ejected</a> from the arena.
The wild scene unfolded during Sunday night&#8217;s game between the Sky and the Indiana Fever.
Freedom <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/outkick-sports/enes-kanter-freedom-opens-confrontation-natasha-cloud-led-ejection-wnba-pursuit">told</a> OutKick that his heated confrontation with Cloud began shortly after Freedom celebrated Fever guard Sophie Cunningham nailing a three-pointer in the third quarter. Freedom was in attendance to support Cunningham, wearing a shirt that stated the definition of a woman as &#8220;adult human female.&#8221;
&#8220;Sophie Cunningham shot a three, and I put my hands up to celebrate. Literally, a couple possessions later, Natasha came back and started screaming and yelling and said, ‘She’s not gonna sleep with you.’&#8221; Kanter told OutKick. &#8220;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.’&#8221;
Video of the heated exchange showed Cloud approach Freedom as her teammates rushed to hold her back. Freedom stood with his arms outstretched and exchanged words with Cloud before arena security stepped in front of him and led him to the exit.
<div style="max-width: 728px; margin: 0 auto;"><iframe style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; max-width: 100%; width: 100%; margin: 20px auto 5px; border: 0;" src="https://player.mux.com/J4xLkXQdkZfx0241wLkaYoN3w7rIIQZk1?metadata-video-content-type=embed_video&amp;metadata-video-id=6c6eddda-38b1-4cc0-8e65-2e70991c0f62&amp;metadata-video-stream-type=on-demand&amp;metadata-video-title=2026-08-23%20Enes%20Kanter%20Freedom%20Booted%20From%20WNBA%20Game&amp;poster=https%3A%2F%2Fdailywireplus-v2.imgix.net%2Fimages%2Fembedded-videos%2F07f1e6a0-3928-4b0e-a7ff-15a6c6005e9e.jpg&amp;autoplay=false&amp;accent-color=%23DB3D3B&amp;primary-color=%23ffffff&amp;secondary-color=%23000000" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div>
&nbsp;
&#8220;She started to actually cuss,&#8221; Freedom added. &#8220;And I was very shocked. There were a lot of kids and there were a lot of teenagers at that game, and I just cannot believe that she was just cussing and using those F-bombs in front of all these kids.&#8221;
The former NBA forward said that he asked security why they were forcing him to leave since Cloud instigated the confrontation. As he was forced out of the arena, Freedom said he also spoke to police officers.
The fiery exchange came as the WNBA grapples with the question of allowing men into the women&#8217;s league. While no trans-identifying men currently play in the WNBA, the increasing number of men dominating other women&#8217;s sports has sparked debate about whether the WNBA should address the issue. Last month, Cunningham made comments on protecting girls&#8217; and women&#8217;s sports that thrust the issue into the spotlight in the WNBA.
“I’m not a very political person, but I do have beliefs,” she said. “I have morals, and I’ll always stand on those and be true to who I am, and I think people are going to take it how they want to take it. … When it comes to protecting young girls in sport and women in sport, I feel very strongly about that.”
Freedom, along with former NBA player Royce White, have backed Cunningham during the controversy and recently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/former-nba-player-declares-for-wnba-draft">declared</a> for the WNBA draft in an attempt to force the league&#8217;s hand on the issue. The WNBA, however, has refused to take a stand on keeping men out of the league and held a meeting on transgender athletes earlier this month, but came to no conclusion on men playing in women&#8217;s sports.

Enes Kanter Freedom Reveals What Led To WNBA Courtside Confrontation

Indiana Fever played New York Liberty on Saturday night — and although Liberty walked away with the on-court win, 109-102, it was a battle between two groups of fans that made headlines.
Pro-trans activists and a number of pro-woman fans — including XX-XY Athletics founder Jennifer Sey — surrounded the Barclays Center ahead of the game, brought there by Fever shooting guard Sophie Cunningham.
Sey, there to support Cunningham and defend biological women in sports, told OutKick that the WNBA was consistently taking the wrong side on the issue of trans-identifying men in women&#8217;s spaces.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
“The WNBA is just one fail after the next.”<a href="https://x.com/JenniferSey?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JenniferSey</a> rips the league for preaching inclusion while censoring its fans. <a href="https://t.co/Wj6OO270XM">pic.twitter.com/Wj6OO270XM</a>
— OutKick (@Outkick) <a href="https://x.com/Outkick/status/2091295254762627573?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 22, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;The WNBA is just one fail after the next,&#8221; she said. &#8220;They just keep stepping in it. They keep trying to censor us and our message, whether it&#8217;s yelling at a young girl at the game in Seattle or telling Riley [Gaines] and I we couldn&#8217;t have a sign or telling a woman in Atlanta she couldn&#8217;t have the shirt.&#8221;
&#8220;It&#8217;s just censorship after censorship, they&#8217;re trying to manage this message, but people aren&#8217;t having it anymore. No one&#8217;s afraid. People are emboldened. 75% of Americans agree that women&#8217;s sports are for women,&#8221; she said, adding that the WNBA needed to step up and get on the right side of the issue.
During the game, things were no different. After a message paid for by a fan of XX-XY Athletics was reportedly changed by the venue, three pro-trans messages appeared on the Jumbotron throughout the game.
&#8220;Hey trans fans! Glad you&#8217;re here! Go Liberty!&#8221; one read, and the others: &#8220;Welcome trans Liberty fans! You are loved and you belong!&#8221;; &#8220;Big welcome to the NY Liberty transgender fan community! So excited to be here with you all!&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The New York Liberty showed three messages on the scoreboard at halftime in support of trans people. <a href="https://t.co/6TXbJPmtro">https://t.co/6TXbJPmtro</a> <a href="https://t.co/1iyBDwdKFW">pic.twitter.com/1iyBDwdKFW</a>
— Jackson Thompson (@JackThompsonFOX) <a href="https://x.com/JackThompsonFOX/status/2091318021230825830?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 23, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
A Sophie Cunningham fan told Fox News reporter Jack Thompson that her Jumbotron message to the XX-XY founder — who was present at the game — was changed after she paid for it because Liberty only allowed &#8220;positive submissions.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
A Sophie Cunningham fan paid to have a message supporting <a href="https://x.com/xx_xyathletics?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@xx_xyathletics</a> displayed at a New York Liberty game only for the team to alter and censor her original submission.
She tells <a href="https://x.com/JackThompsonFOX?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JackThompsonFOX</a> the Liberty said they only allow “positive submissions” to be displayed. <a href="https://t.co/msDUuzvxGG">pic.twitter.com/msDUuzvxGG</a>
— OutKick (@Outkick) <a href="https://x.com/Outkick/status/2091133294800732254?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 22, 2026</a></blockquote>
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The clash comes after weeks of similar confrontations, as Sey mentioned, including <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sophie-cunningham-rips-wnba-team-co-owner-for-harassing-teens-girls-with-xx-xy-shirts">two teen girls</a> being berated by a WNBA team co-owner in Seattle for wearing XX-XY Athletics clothing and a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/see-it-sophie-cunningham-fans-targeted-again">mother and daughter</a> in Atlanta being told that they needed to cover up their shirts or leave the game. In contrast, pro-trans messaging has been consistently allowed and even favored.
The protests ramped up after Cunningham defended women&#8217;s sports as a space for biological women, saying repeatedly that it was not about politics — and that she believed there was room for everyone in sports, trans-identifying or otherwise — but that women and girls deserved to be protected in sex-specific spaces.

Indiana Fever v Golden State Valkyries

WATCH: Sophie Cunningham Fans Clash With Trans Activists Outside Fever Game

Liberty

New York

Former NBA center Enes Kanter Freedom got booted from Sunday night&#8217;s WNBA game (Indiana Fever at Chicago Sky) at Chicago&#8217;s Wintrust Arena after a brief confrontation with a player on the court.
Freedom, wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with the definition of the word &#8220;woman,&#8221; was ejected just before the end of the third quarter after a brief confrontation with Chicago Sky guard Natasha Cloud. With 1:22 left in the quarter, Cloud scored – and the Fever called for a timeout.
Cloud approached the baseline where Freedom was seated, pointing and shouting at him — and he raised both arms and stepped toward the court. Several other players and officials jumped between them, preventing the confrontation from escalating.
Freedom spoke briefly with police before leaving the arena.
He had attended the game, as well as a pregame rally, to show his support for Indiana Fever shooting guard Sophie Cunningham — who has become a popular target for pro-trans activists since she declared her support for biological women in sports and sex-specific spaces for women and girls.
Protests and rallies have followed the Fever to several recent games, and on several occasions, women and girls who have shown their support — either for biological women in sports or for Cunningham — have been harassed or told that if they didn&#8217;t cover up their XX-XY Athletics shirts, they would be forced to leave.
The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/another-former-nba-player-says-hes-entering-wnba-draft-threatens-discrimination-suit">WNBA&#8217;s</a> unwillingness to draw a hard line between male and female prompted Freedom and fellow former NBA player Royce White to declare for the 2027 WNBA draft.
As The Daily Wire previously reported, Freedom had <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/former-nba-player-declares-for-wnba-draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">declared himself a 2027 prospect</a>, saying that he had reviewed the league’s self-identification framework and met its requirements.
White said the same, adding that he was &#8220;a sometimes identifying transgender woman&#8221; and said that if he was not drafted, he would &#8220;have to file a discrimination lawsuit, right?&#8221;

Enes Kanter Freedom Booted From WNBA Game After Confrontation

Transgender Athletes

Canada&#8217;s only WNBA franchise, the Toronto Tempo, unveiled two new official mascots this week, including a DJing snapping turtle that uses she/they pronouns.
Dot the Arctic Hare and Dez the Snapping Turtle made their debut Tuesday night during halftime of the Tempo&#8217;s game against the Indiana Fever. The timing was particularly notable because Fever star Sophie Cunningham has emerged as one of the WNBA&#8217;s most outspoken critics of biological males competing in women&#8217;s sports.
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The Tempo have officially unveiled their mascots. Yes, two!
Welcome Dez, the turtle and Dot, the hare. <a href="https://t.co/WRbSdu5vxm">pic.twitter.com/WRbSdu5vxm</a>
— Zulfi Sheikh (@zulfi_sheikh) <a href="https://x.com/zulfi_sheikh/status/2089865052757127311?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 19, 2026</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Dez and Dot have completely different personalities, but they&#8217;re better together,&#8221; said Whitney Bell, chief marketing officer for the Toronto Tempo. &#8220;One knows when to slow things down, the other knows when to turn the energy all the way up.&#8221;
According to the Tempo, Dez uses she/they pronouns and is a Borealis Blue Snapping Turtle from Muskoka, Ontario, who DJs in their spare time.
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“Leave the mascots alone!” 😭
Come behind the scenes of our Official Mascot Reveal on our YouTube channel: <a href="https://t.co/RrmRh3fg1j">https://t.co/RrmRh3fg1j</a> <a href="https://t.co/prKESxar58">pic.twitter.com/prKESxar58</a>
— Toronto Tempo (@TempoBasketball) <a href="https://x.com/TempoBasketball/status/2090848079742488675?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 21, 2026</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Their name is inspired by decibel, a nod to their love of music and role as the more measured half of the duo,&#8221; the team <a href="https://tempo.wnba.com/news/meet-the-official-tempo-mascots-dez-and-dot">said</a>. &#8220;Dez is calm, clever and always thinking a few steps ahead. A Taurus who spins the 1s and 2s in their spare time, Dez&#8217;s secret talent is snapping &#8211; they also have a particular fondness for soft shell tacos.&#8221;
The Tempo&#8217;s other new mascot, Dot, goes by she/her pronouns, loves cotton candy, and the team describes her as &#8220;the undisputed hype woman of the pair.&#8221;
Many have speculated that Dez identifies as &#8220;nonbinary,&#8221; which could be true, but the Tempo has not referred to it that way.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
WNBA team Toronto Tempo unveils new non-binary mascot with She/They pronouns.
Dez the mascot, who uses She/They pronouns, identifies as a “borealis blue” snapping turtle from Muskoka. <a href="https://t.co/i1lFdfzWPO">pic.twitter.com/i1lFdfzWPO</a>
— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) <a href="https://x.com/OliLondonTV/status/2090773357751144856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 21, 2026</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;The WNBA is virtue signaling so hard they&#8217;re going to break a wrist,&#8221; one social media user wrote.
LGBTQ-focused outlet Them also took notice, describing Dez as &#8220;butch&#8221; and saying the Tempo&#8217;s <a href="https://tempo.wnba.com/news/meet-the-official-tempo-mascots-dez-and-dot">press release</a> introducing the mascots &#8220;reads like a novella &#8211; a very queer novella.&#8221;
The outlet went a step further, speculating that Dez and Dot might be romantically involved. Them asked the Tempo to clarify both the mascots&#8217; relationship status and Dez&#8217;s gender identity.
A Tempo spokesperson told Them that Dez and Dot are &#8220;besties,&#8221; prompting the outlet to update its report.
Dez&#8217;s gender identity, however, remains a mystery.
&nbsp;

HQC1OQXWEAA6Z5w

WNBA Team’s New She/They Mascot Is A Taurus DJ Who Loves Tacos

Canada

Gender Pronouns

Mascots

nonbinary

Pronouns

Toronto

Two WNBA coaches took aim at fans who rallied on Wednesday to protect women’s sports, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/outkick-sports/lynx-valkyries-coaches-rip-save-womens-sports-movement-pro-trans-mob-rocks-1st-rally-non-fever-game">slamming</a> the growing &#8220;Save Women&#8217;s Sports&#8221; movement as nothing more than political noise.
Ahead of Wednesday’s showdown between the Minnesota Lynx and Golden State Valkyries at the Chase Center, Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve brushed off a rally supporting female athletes, labeling the movement a mere &#8220;talking point that people are buying into.&#8221; Reeve, who <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/espn-praises-wnba-coach-after-trans-sports-jab-at-sophie-cunningham?author=Hank+Berrien&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=40&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=ESPN+Praises+WNBA+Coach+After+Trans+Sports+Jab+At+Sophie+Cunningham">donned</a> a &#8220;trans kids belong&#8221; shirt on the sidelines earlier this month, called for further education and insisted the issue shouldn&#8217;t be used to marginalize a community.
Not to be outdone, Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase took her own swing at the rallygoers, taking to the podium to preach that there is &#8220;too much hate speech&#8221; in sports today and urging people to &#8220;lead with love.&#8221;
The coaches&#8217; pregame comments served as the backdrop for a chaotic scene outside the Chase Center, where a small group of peaceful women’s rights advocates found themselves encircled by an aggressive, chanting mob of pro-trans counter-protesters.
Family rights attorney Erin Friday told Fox News, &#8220;We were outside of this Chase Center holding signs peacefully. There were about eight to nine women, majority are lesbians, majority are Democrats or former Democrats, and the crowd came by us yelling profanities, telling us to get out.”
Arianne Gieringer, vice president of LGB Alliance USA and a lifelong Bay Area native, revealed that an aggressive protester screamed that she &#8220;didn&#8217;t belong&#8221; in the city.
Arena security stepped in to keep the peace, forcing activists to ditch their signs before heading inside to watch the Lynx beat the Valkyries 77-66.
The San Francisco circus was just the latest explosion in a wild culture war tearing through the league. Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham ruffled trans advocates’ feathers by boldly declaring that biological males have no business in female locker rooms or athletics. Cunningham’s straight-shooting stance sparked nationwide &#8220;Save Women&#8217;s Sports&#8221; rallies outside arenas from Seattle to Atlanta.
Fever head coach Stephanie White recently flew off the handle in an unhinged, expletive-laden tirade, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sophie-cunninghams-coach-tells-critics-to-go-to-hell-after-quiet-reaction-to-brutal-hit?author=Hank+Berrien&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=18&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Sophie+Cunningham%E2%80%99s+Coach+Tells+Critics+To+%E2%80%98Go+To+Hell%E2%80%99+After+Quiet+Reaction+To+Brutal+Hit">telling online critics</a> to &#8220;go to hell&#8221; after being torched for failing to react when Cunningham was hard-fouled and left bleeding by Chicago’s DiJonai Carrington. Meanwhile, ESPN commentators have used live broadcasts to hype up Coach Reeve’s leftist talking points.
Despite the hostility from league leadership and screaming mobs on the street, the &#8220;Save Women&#8217;s Sports&#8221; movement isn&#8217;t backing down. With demonstrations popping up at nearly a dozen games in less than a month, fans are making it crystal clear that the real battle in the WNBA is happening far beyond the court.

MixCollage-20-Aug-2026-08-50-AM-8179

WNBA Coaches Slam ‘Save Women’s Sports’ Movement As Tensions Flare Outside Arena

Leftists

LGBT

The Atlanta Dream remained inside the locker room during the national anthem before their matchup against the Indiana Fever on Sunday night. The unpatriotic moment gained some traction online — but the diss to the flag was nothing new for the embattled league.
A video shows Fever players on the court for the anthem, while the Atlanta team is noticeably missing from the court. League standout Sophie Cunningham appeared to be the only player on Sunday to have her hand over her heart as the anthem played. Beloved guard Caitlin Clark stood beside Cunningham with her hands behind her back.
&nbsp;
<div id="attachment_1159941" style="width: 954px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1159941" class="wp-image-1159941 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/GettyImages-2279135741-944x576.jpg" alt="Sophie Cunningham #8 of the Indiana Fever stands for the national anthem before their game against the Golden State Valkyries at Chase Center on May 28, 2026 in San Francisco, California. " width="944" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/GettyImages-2279135741-944x576.jpg 944w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/GettyImages-2279135741-300x183.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/GettyImages-2279135741-768x469.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/GettyImages-2279135741.jpg 970w" sizes=" (max-width: 944px) 100vw, 944px" />Ezra Shaw/Getty Images</div>
Over the past decade, players and entire teams have amped up their social justice activism, often targeting the anthem. The women on the Dream, which went on to lose to Indiana in overtime Sunday night, routinely stay in the locker room while the anthem plays.
And they&#8217;re not the only team to do so. The Connecticut Sun, for example, have also been staying off the court during the playing of the national anthem this season. During a July game, rookie Raegan Beers gained support online when she was the only Sun player who remained on the court while the anthem played, standing alone as her teammates headed toward the locker room.
The New York Liberty have also made it a habit to leave the court during the playing of the national anthem, and then return right after. Fans online have commented on the practice. One person <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/wnba/comments/1twz9ki/national_anthem_protocols/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">posted</a>, &#8220;I&#8217;m a Liberty [season ticket holder] and one thing I&#8217;ve always noticed is that the teams always leave the court during the U.S. anthem and come back immediately after. I&#8217;d never seen that happen in any previous sporting events Id attended, so I clocked it as interesting.&#8221; The person added that it seemed like the practice was the &#8220;WNBA way,&#8221; but then noticed some teams do stay on the court and stand for the anthem.
The practice has a history in the league, including highly publicized instances involving the Los Angeles Sparks in 2017 and the Seattle Storm and Liberty in 2020. In 2017, the Sparks stayed in the locker room during the national anthem before several WNBA Finals games, while the Storm and Liberty walked off the court before the anthem during the 2020 season opener.
Meanwhile, the league is catching heat for refusing to stand up for girls and women on the transgender issue. The league notably allows pro-trans activism from players, while it quickly distanced itself from Cunningham after she famously said males should not be allowed in female sports.
Cunningham called her position &#8220;common sense&#8221; and fair, a position that has received overwhelming public support. However, the WNBA has yet to come on board.

2014 WNBA Finals – Game Two

WNBA Teams Have An Unpatriotic Tradition During The National Anthem

Activists

America

National Anthem

Protest

Social Justice

The Atlanta Dream issued a statement on Monday, effectively blaming &#8220;WNBA Security&#8221; for a confrontation at Sunday&#8217;s game that led to a mother and daughter being forced to cover up their pro-woman attire.
&#8220;The Atlanta Dream believes in creating a safe and inclusive environment for everyone,&#8221; the statement read. &#8220;Unfortunately, at last night&#8217;s game, WNBA security took actions that fell short of that standard. At no point was Dream personnel involved in the decisions made by WNBA security.&#8221;
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<a href="https://t.co/NBILzMBYXS">pic.twitter.com/NBILzMBYXS</a>
— Atlanta Dream (@AtlantaDream) <a href="https://x.com/AtlantaDream/status/2089481993163591795?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 17, 2026</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;The league issued this statement earlier today,&#8221; the Dream added. &#8220;&#8216;The WNBA is aware of interactions at last night&#8217;s game in Atlanta in which fans were asked by league security to cover their shirts. This should not have happened.'&#8221;
At the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/see-it-sophie-cunningham-fans-targeted-again">game in question</a>, which featured the Indiana Fever playing the Dream at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Kasey Thomason and her daughter Annie said that after shelling out thousands for good seats, they were approached by arena security and told to cover their XX-XY Athletics shirts or leave. As The Daily Wire previously reported, Kasey’s shirt featured the XX-XY logo in red, white, and blue; Annie’s shirt, with an XX on the front, came from the Riley Gaines collection and read, “For the Girls,” across the back.
They had gone to the game to show their support for Fever shooting guard Sophie Cunningham — who recently drew fire from the far-Left when she defended sex-based rights for women and girls in athletics — and with just two minutes left in overtime, they were told to cover up their shirts because someone had determined that they were &#8220;offensive.&#8221;
“Biology and science is offensive?” Kasey asked. But Kasey and Annie ultimately put on the offered Atlanta Dream “Wellness &amp; Health Night” shirts so that they could see the end of the game — which the Fever won, 95-91.
Kasey and Annie said they believe another fan — who had come to the game wearing a shirt that read &#8220;Trans Kids Belong In Sports&#8221; — had tipped off security to come and get them. That same woman, they said, commented on their newly acquired &#8220;Wellness &amp; Health Night&#8221; shirts in mocking tones after they were forced to put them on.

WNBA: AUG 16 Indiana Fever at Atlanta Dream

Team Blames ‘WNBA Security’ For Targeting Sophie Cunningham Fans

Atlanta Dream Blames ‘WNBA Security’ For Targeting Sophie Cunningham Fans

Atlanta

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