{
  "id": 3385390,
  "title": "Ex-NBA player who claims to be a woman banned by WNBA team after joust",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/26/ex-nba-player-who-claims-to-be-a-woman-banned-by-wnba-team-after-joust",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-26T00:12:48.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "ABC News",
    "slug": "abc-news",
    "url": "https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08-26/basketball-enes-kanter-freedom-banned-wnba-chicago-sky/107078932"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Enes Kanter Freedom, a former NBA player who identifies as a woman, has been banned from attending Chicago Sky WNBA games after a verbal altercation with teammate Natasha Cloud. The 34-year-old was ejected from Sunday's game against the Indiana Fever and is barred from entering Wintrust Arena for the Sky's home games until he can prove he can abide by the team's rules without being a threat. Sky owner Michael Alter called Kanter Freedom a \"potential threat\" after witnessing the 34-year-old's behavior during the altercation. Both Kanter Freedom and Royce White, another ex-NBA player, have declared for the 2027 WNBA draft while identifying as women, though the league has not yet officially ruled them out. The WNBA has faced debates regarding the participation of transgender women in the league, with no such player having played in the WNBA thus far.",
  "summary": "Enes Kanter Freedom is deemed a \"potential threat\" by the Chicago Sky after his verbal altercation with Natasha Cloud.",
  "key_points": [
    "Enes Kanter Freedom, former NBA player, banned from Chicago Sky games",
    "Verbal altercation with teammate Natasha Cloud led to ejection",
    "Sky owner Michael Alter deems Kanter Freedom a \"potential threat\""
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "ABC News AU",
        "title": "Ex-NBA player who claims to be a woman banned by WNBA team after joust",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/26/ex-nba-player-who-claims-to-be-a-woman-banned-by-wnba-team-after-joust-3387840",
        "published": "2026-08-26T00:12:48.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}