Former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom has revealed he received a private message from WNBA star Sophie Cunningham following his ejection from a Chicago Sky game amidst the ongoing debate surrounding transgender athletes in the league.
Kanter, who declared for the WNBA draft in protest of the league's gender eligibility criteria, was removed from a game after a courtside confrontation with player Natasha Cloud. He stated that Cunningham, who has previously voiced concerns about protecting young girls in sports, texted him asking "What happened?" after he was escorted out of the Wintrust Arena during a game between the Chicago Sky and the Indiana Fever.
During an appearance on Fox News' 'The Big Weekend Show,' Kanter recounted his response to Cunningham's message, stating, "I just got up and opened my arms in the air and said, 'I'm here to protect my friends.'" He did not provide screenshots of the exchange or further details about the conversation.
Kanter described his relationship with Cunningham as a friendship based on shared views regarding women's sports, calling her "an idol now and an American hero." He expressed happiness that "someone from the WNBA got up and said, 'Enough is enough. We have to stand for American values.'"
Kanter has actively engaged in the discussion about transgender athletes in the WNBA. During the game from which he was ejected, he wore a T-shirt with the definition of the word "woman" printed on it. He insists this did not violate the WNBA's Fan Code of Conduct. Kanter also claimed that during the game, he stood up and raised his arms to celebrate a Cunningham three-pointer, and that Natasha Cloud told him, "She's not going to sleep with you."
Last week, Kanter filed a federal lawsuit against the Chicago Sky, the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, and the City of Chicago, alleging his unjust ejection from the game on August 23. His lawsuit claims the entities "combined and conspired to eject" him from the arena while he was "peacefully exercising [his] First Amendment rights." He stated, "My T-shirt did what the whole @WNBA apparently couldn’t: define a woman. No threats. No violence. Just biology. And somehow, that required a security escort."
Chicago Sky owner Michael Alter responded to the lawsuit, calling it "meritless and frivolous" and stating he "will look forward to the truth prevailing in court."
Additionally, Kanter announced his intention to replace Cathy Engelbert as the WNBA Commissioner following Engelbert's announced retirement at the end of the year. Kanter stated he wants to "Make WNBA Female Again" and offered to step in as commissioner to "lead this league back to greatness and restore fairness for all women."