Enes Kanter made headlines on August 7th when he declared for the 2027 WNBA Draft. His reasoning was rooted in the league’s inclusion policies, with the former NBA center stating that he and his team had “carefully examined the WNBA’s eligibility criteria and governing framework” before making the decision.
Kanter continues to wade into WNBA’s trans athlete debates and was present on Sunday night at the Indiana Fever– Chicago Sky game while sporting a t-shirt that read: “WOMAN noun. adult human female.”
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As the third quarter wound down, the Sky’s Natasha Cloud had had enough as she got into a war of words with Kanter. American activist Riley Gaines later highlighted how ludicrous the interaction between the two was.
Riley Gaines Comments On Enes Kanter and His Wingspan During His Tiff With Natasha Cloud
During the heated exchange between Cloud and Kanter at the 1:22 mark of the third, the latter spread his arms across his body, seemingly to invite the challenge as Cloud hurled expletives at him.
This led Gaines on X topoint out the size difference between Kanter and WNBA players.
“Look at his wingspan. Look how he towers over the girls. It just makes the insanity all the more obvious. The WNBA is unsalvageable at this point. I stand with Enes Kanter Freedom,” Gaines wrote.
She released another post, remarking: “The wingspan. It’s just a perfect visual.”
Tonight’s exchange between the two culminated with Kanter being escorted out of Wintrust Arena.
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“I’m supporting women, and that is the reason they are kicking me out. This is unacceptable,” Kanter said on his way out of the arena. The former Boston Celtics center has a measured wingspan of 7 feet 1.5 inches and stands nearly 6 feet 10 inches tall.
If he were to enter the WNBA, this would make Kanter the most physically imposing in the league, matching up with the likes of Han Xu (6’11”) and Brittney Griner (6’9″).
The debate over trans eligibility and the decisions by former players such as Kanter and Royce White to declare for the draft stem from the language of the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
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The current CBA, which runs until 2032, states that only ‘women’ are allowed to enter the league. However, they have not defined the term ‘woman’, sparking controversy among analysts and former pros.
Commissioner Engelbert and league officials will likely have to amend the CBA language this offseason to permanently end this discourse.
Until then, more such incidents surrounding the trans athlete controversy in the WNBA cannot be ruled out.
For now, however, it remains unclear if anyone involved in Sunday night’s back-and-forth will be reprimanded.
As for Kanter, it isn’t out of the realm of possibility for him to be banned from certain W arenas, especially with the Playoffs around the corner.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.
