Overview
- Enes Kanter Freedom was ejected during the Chicago Sky–Indiana Fever game on Aug. 23 and Chicago Sky owner Michael Alter announced an indefinite ban on him at Wintrust Arena.
- Kanter has publicly said he identifies as a woman and declared for the 2027 WNBA draft, a move he says tests the league’s eligibility language.
- Multiple league sources told reporters they currently view Kanter and fellow former NBA player Royce White as ineligible under the WNBA’s CBA line that says only players who are women are eligible to play.
- Current players have sharply condemned Kanter’s actions — Los Angeles Sparks forward Cameron Brink used explicit language in rebuke and Angel McCoughtry called for wider bans — while Kanter has threatened legal action against the Sky.
- The dispute has pushed the WNBA and the players’ union to convene task force and stakeholder talks, and it highlights that adding a clear eligibility definition would require negotiation with the WNBPA and could raise complex legal, privacy and safety questions.