The battle over the future of women’s sports is increasingly playing out inside the WNBA itself, where Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham and former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom have emerged as outspoken defenders of biological distinctions in women’s athletics. Now, both are facing intense opposition for taking that stand.
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The controversy erupted Sunday during a game between the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky at Wintrust Arena. Freedom was sitting near the baseline wearing a shirt defining a woman as an “adult human female” when he celebrated a three-pointer by Cunningham. According to Freedom, Chicago guard Natasha Cloud later approached him and made a vulgar remark about Cunningham.
Freedom said he responded by telling Cloud, “I’m just here to protect women and support her.” Video showed Cloud approaching Freedom while yelling and pointing before players and security intervened. Freedom was ultimately escorted from the arena, although he said security did not explain why he was being removed.
After the game, Cloud posted a message expressing her support for the transgender community. Freedom, meanwhile, said he believes his shirt and his public stance on women’s sports may have contributed to the confrontation.
The incident came after Freedom attended a rally outside the arena supporting Cunningham, who has become one of the WNBA’s most prominent voices opposing the participation of biological males who identify as transgender in women’s sports. Cunningham has faced protests and counterprotests since publicly taking that position.
Freedom has taken an unusual approach to making the same point. Earlier this month, the 6-foot-10 former NBA center announced his intention to enter the 2027 WNBA Draft, arguing that the league needs to clearly define who is eligible to compete.
The WNBA’s collective bargaining agreement states that “only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA,” but according to OutKick, the agreement does not publicly define “women” or spell out specific eligibility standards for transgender athletes. No transgender player is known to have competed in the WNBA.
Freedom says his proposed WNBA bid is intended to expose what he sees as the consequences of failing to establish sex-based eligibility rules. He has pointed to his own enormous physical advantage as a former NBA center, saying he could “dunk everything” if allowed to compete against women.
But speaking publicly has come at a cost.
Freedom says he has received death threats and abusive messages since announcing his plans. Nevertheless, he insists his campaign is not motivated by hostility toward transgender people or by partisan politics.
“I really want people to understand I’m not doing this for any kind of political reasons,” he said. “This is not a right or left issue. I’m only here to defend women.”
Perhaps the most telling moment for Freedom came after he was removed from the arena. While preparing to eat dinner, he encountered a young girl and her mother. According to Freedom, the mother thanked him for what he was doing for her daughter.
“I think that was the most emotional part of the whole night,” he said.
That encounter highlights what is ultimately at stake. The debate over women’s sports extends far beyond professional basketball. Decisions being made today about biological sex, fairness, and athletic competition will shape the opportunities available to girls across the country tomorrow.
And those willing to speak publicly can face significant pressure for doing so.
Cunningham is standing against prevailing voices within her own league, while Freedom says his advocacy has brought abuse and even death threats. Whatever comes next in this controversy, these two figures are standing on the front lines of a much larger cultural battle over whether women’s sports will remain reserved for women.
Intercessors should pray for Cunningham and Freedom—for their protection, courage, wisdom, and perseverance as they continue speaking out. Let’s also pray that athletes, coaches, league officials, lawmakers, and parents will have the courage to defend fairness and protect opportunities created specifically for women and girls.
Will you pray for Sophie Cunningham, Enes Kanter Freedom, and others standing up for women’s sports? Share your prayers and scriptures below.
(Photo Credit: Erik Drost – Enes Kanter, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=112823293 and John Mac – https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnmac612/55437414782/, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=196708599)
