Enes Kanter Freedom reveals Sophie Cunningham’s surprising question after WNBA ejection and what he told her

Enes Kanter Freedom reveals Sophie Cunningham’s surprising question after WNBA ejection and what he told her

Enes Kanter Freedom has shared a small part of his private text exchange with Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham after his ejection from the Fever’s August 23 game against the Chicago Sky. Speaking on Fox News’ “The Big Weekend Show,” Freedom said Cunningham asked him, “What happened?” He said he replied that he had stood up with his arms open and told her, “I’m here to protect my friends.” Freedom did not share screenshots or the rest of the conversation.

The exchange came after a tense moment at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. Freedom was sitting courtside while the Fever played the Sky when Chicago guard Natasha Cloud confronted him during the third quarter. Freedom stood up and moved toward the court before security escorted him out.The Associated Press reported that Freedom was wearing a black shirt that read, “WOMAN noun. adult human female.” AP also reported that he had been supporting Cunningham’s views on transgender athletes in women’s sports and had joined a rally outside the arena before the game.Freedom later said his reason for being at the game was to support Cunningham.

His account of the exchange with Cloud is that he had celebrated one of Cunningham’s shots before the confrontation. He was then removed from the arena.The text exchange with Cunningham appears to have been brief, at least from what Freedom has chosen to make public. He did not say who sent the first message, and he did not reveal anything else Cunningham wrote.

Freedom has been one of the loudest public supporters of Cunningham since she spoke to ESPN about transgender athletes in women’s sports. In that interview, Cunningham said she wanted to protect young girls from having to compete against biological men, while also saying she did not hate transgender people.Freedom has repeatedly praised Cunningham for speaking publicly about the issue. During his Fox News appearance, he called her “an idol” and “an American hero,” saying he was glad a WNBA player had spoken up about what he called American values.

Cunningham, however, has not publicly said that she is working with Freedom on his wider campaign against the WNBA’s eligibility rules. That distinction is important because Freedom has taken his position further. He has declared himself eligible for the 2027 WNBA Draft and has called on the league to change its eligibility language.The controversy around Freedom’s ejection has also moved beyond the arena. According to Reuters, he sued the Chicago Sky, the city of Chicago and the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, arguing that his First Amendment rights were violated. Sky owner Michael Alter has called the lawsuit “meritless and frivolous” and said Freedom was removed because of his conduct, not the message on his shirt.For now, Freedom has made only one part of his conversation with Cunningham public: her question about what happened and his short explanation. Anything beyond that remains private.