Former basketball player Enes Kanter Freedom looks on during the second half between the Chicago Sky and the Indiana Fever at Wintrust Arena on Aug. 23, 2026, in Chicago, Illinois. (Michael Reaves / Getty Images)
By C. Douglas Golden October 22, 2026 at 4:23am
Enes Kanter Freedom, the former NBA star turned political activist, was denied entry to Game 3 of the WNBA Finals despite holding a ticket, reports say.
Officials with State Farm Arena in Atlanta, where the game between the hometown Atlanta Dream and the Golden State Valkyries was to take place, said that the player was banned due to safety issues — his safety.
“Enes Kanter Freedom has contacted federal, state and local authorities, the WNBA, the Atlanta Dream and State Farm Arena officials to express concerns about his personal safety during his planned attendance at Game 3 of the WNBA Finals tonight,” arena officials said in a statement, according to ESPN.
“The safety and security of our guests and team members is our highest priority.”
Kanter Freedom, who has protested the league’s vague policy on what constitutes a woman by attempting to join the league himself, insisted that the matter wasn’t about safety.
Instead, he has footage of a State Farm Arena security guard saying it was out of fear that he might be “disruptive,” and an NBA official saying that he could attend the game if he watched from a luxury suite instead of courtside tickets.
“Following consultations with the WNBA, Dream ownership, State Farm Arena leadership and security officials, we have directed Mr. Freedom to watch tonight’s game from a private luxury suite,” the arena said in a statement.
“This arrangement is intended to address his security concerns and help provide a safe and positive experience for him and other guests. The suite will have additional security and will be his designated viewing location for the game. State police have also assigned an officer to Mr. Freedom at his request.”
Kanter Freedom rejected the request, saying he would rather enjoy his own ticket.
“I’m okay, I don’t want a suite. I would like to sit in the seat I purchased. I’m going to sit in the seat that I just bought,” Kanter Freedom was seen saying in a call with NBA chief security officer Leon Newsome, while wearing a shirt that said “What Is a Woman?”
When he was told that wasn’t an option, he said that “I guess they’ll have to drag me” out of the arena.
🚨 ATTENTION!
Just talked to director of security of the @NBA and they are now banning us from our purchased seats.
Shame on @WNBA
I guess they have to escort me out of the building.
Stay tuned. https://t.co/f2adrlkWhx
— Enes Kanter FREEDOM (@EnesFreedom) October 21, 2026
“I just got kicked out of a @WNBA game for the second time in a row for supporting WOMEN!” Kanter Freedom said in a caption along with the video of him and security at State Farm Arena.
“Let that sink in, AMERICA!”
I just got kicked out of a @WNBA game for the second time in a row for supporting WOMEN!
Let that sink in, AMERICA! 🇺🇸 https://t.co/nNmwa9U4xn
— Enes Kanter FREEDOM (@EnesFreedom) October 22, 2026
Kanter Freedom was previously ejected from a Chicago Sky-Indiana Fever game in August amid his challenge to the league’s gender policy.
That precipitated an argument with the Sky’s Natasha Cloud.
Enes Kanter was kicked out of a WNBA game after arguing with players https://t.co/ovT25sgORF
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) August 24, 2026
Enes Kanter showed off his T-Shirt while being escorted out of the arena.
“WOMAN: adult human female” https://t.co/gIFb5ejIQz
— BrickCenter (@BrickCenter_) August 24, 2026
The WNBA says in its collective bargaining agreement that “only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA,” but doesn’t define what constitutes a woman. Given the political tilt of the league and the left, a “woman” could indeed be many things aside from an individual born with two X chromosomes.
While Kanter Freedom had declared for the WNBA Draft, along with former NBA player Royce White, the league denied their applications.
Should Enes Kanter Freedom have been allowed to attend the WNBA Finals as a ticket holder?
“With respect to your questions regarding eligibility, only women are eligible to play in the WNBA and the individuals you cite in your letter are both men,” WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert told congressional Republicans in a letter dated last week and obtained by OutKick.
After Kanter Freedom announced his decision to attend Game 3 of the WNBA Finals, he reported receiving “thousands of death threats,” including one that warned him he would be “the next Charlie Kirk.”
In the game itself, the Dream defeated the Valkyries 97-71 to take a 2-1 series lead.
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C. Douglas Golden is a writer who splits his time between the United States and Southeast Asia. Specializing in political commentary and world affairs, he’s written for Conservative Tribune and The Western Journal since 2014.
C. Douglas Golden is a writer who splits his time between the United States and Southeast Asia. Specializing in political commentary and world affairs, he’s written for Conservative Tribune and The Western Journal since 2014. Aside from politics, he enjoys spending time with his wife, literature (especially British comic novels and modern Japanese lit), indie rock, coffee, Formula One and football (of both American and world varieties).
Birthplace
Morristown, New Jersey
Education
Catholic University of America
Languages Spoken
English, Spanish
Topics of Expertise
American Politics, World Politics, Culture
