Enes Kanter Freedom receives a serious warning from a Former NFL player who adores Caitlin Clark: “He's doing more harm to women”
Robert Griffin III criticized the former NBA player after his confrontation with Natasha Cloud during the Fever-Sky game
E nes Kanter Freedom 's latest appearance at a WNBA game has sparked another wave of controversy, this time drawing a pointed response from former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III .
Freedom was ejected from Sunday's Indiana Fever-Chicago Sky matchup at Wintrust Arena after a confrontation with Chicago guard Natasha Cloud .
The incident occurred late in the third quarter, shortly after Cloud scored a basket and directed her frustration toward Freedom , who was sitting courtside.
Freedom stood up and moved toward the court before security personnel stepped between the two. He was subsequently escorted from the arena and did not return for the remainder of the game.
The former NBA player was wearing a shirt that read, “WOMAN noun. adult human female.”
The confrontation quickly became part of the wider debate surrounding gender eligibility in women's sports, a subject Freedom has increasingly made central to his public appearances and social-media activity.
Griffin , who has been outspoken in his support of Caitlin Clark and women's basketball, did not hold back when reacting to the incident.
“Enes Kanter is causing more harm and damage to the women he claims he is trying to protect. THIS is lame.”
Griffin followed that post with another criticism of the growing focus on controversies surrounding the WNBA.
“EVERYTHING but basketball is leading the conversation about the WNBA and it’s a disservice to the incredible women playing night in and night out.”
Why Freedom has become involved in the WNBA debate
Freedom's involvement in the issue did not begin with Sunday's confrontation.
The former NBA center has recently aligned himself with Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham , who has expressed concerns about transgender athletes competing in women's sports.
Cunningham previously said she wanted to “protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn’t have to go against biological men.”
Freedom has repeatedly expressed his support for Cunningham and has attempted to position his activism as a defense of women's athletics.
He went even further by declaring himself eligible for the 2027 WNBA Draft alongside former NBA player Royce White , saying they identify as women. The announcement was widely viewed as a provocative extension of the argument he has been making about eligibility rules in women's sports.
That activism has now brought Freedom into direct conflict with players and fans at WNBA venues.
According to reports surrounding Sunday's game, it was not immediately clear exactly what Cloud and Freedom were saying to each other before security intervened.
Cloud did not speak to the media during the Sky's postgame availability, but later posted a message on Threads directed toward transgender people.
"To every trans kid/person, You are apart of MY community & tribe. You belong. You’re loved. You’re seen. You’re perfect as you are. & you will always be protected by me," Cloud wrote.
The exchange occurred during a game that already carried plenty of attention because of the Fever-Sky rivalry and Indiana's Caitlin Clark -led lineup. Instead of the basketball taking center stage, however, the confrontation became one of the night's biggest talking points.
That is precisely what Griffin objected to.
His argument was not simply about Freedom's views, but about how the confrontation and surrounding activism could shift attention away from the athletes competing on the floor.
Freedom's NBA career gives him considerable name recognition. The Utah Jazz selected him third overall in the 2011 NBA Draft, and he went on to spend 11 seasons with six teams, including the Jazz, Oklahoma City Thunder, New York Knicks, Portland Trail Blazers and Boston Celtics.
His playing career ended in 2022, but he has remained highly visible through political and social activism.
Now, Griffin is warning that the strategy Freedom is using to promote his views could ultimately undermine the very athletes he says he wants to defend.
For the WNBA, the episode represents another example of how debates outside basketball can become intertwined with the league's games. And with Freedom promising to remain involved in the conversation, the dispute is unlikely to disappear anytime soon.
