Enes Kanter Freedom sues Chicago Sky over WNBA game ejection

Former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom has filed a federal lawsuit against the Chicago Sky, the city of Chicago, and the authority that owns Wintrust Arena, alleging they violated his First Amendment rights by ejecting him from a WNBA game and banning him indefinitely because of his views on women's sports. The lawsuit, filed on September 3, 2026, stems from an incident on August 23 during a game between the Sky and the Indiana Fever. According to the complaint, Freedom was seated courtside wearing a black T-shirt that read "WOMAN noun, adult human female." He alleges that during the third quarter, Sky guard Natasha Cloud, after scoring a basket, initiated a verbal confrontation by charging toward him while shouting profanities. The lawsuit states Cloud yelled that Fever guard Sophie Cunningham was "not going to sleep with" him. Freedom claims he responded by saying, "I'm not trying to sleep with her. I'm just here to protect women and support her." Arena security and police then escorted Freedom from the venue. He was subsequently banned indefinitely from Wintrust Arena.