Former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom was ejected from Sunday’s Women’s NBA match between the Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever after becoming involved in a verbal altercation with Sky guard Natasha Cloud.

Sitting at courtside, Kanter Freedom stood up with his arms outstretched and took steps towards the court after Cloud began pointing and shouting at him during a timeout.

Kanter Freedom was wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the words “WOMAN noun. Adult human female.”.

Earlier this month, he declared he would enter next season’s WNBA Draft, citing the current eligibility guidelines, or lack of, for transgender women players.

Security and other Sky players intervened, before former Utah Jazz and Boston Celtics centre Kanter Freedom was escorted from the court.

He posted on X, external: “I just got kicked out of a WNBA game for supporting WOMEN! Let that sink in, AMERICA!”

Writing on Threads, external after the game, Cloud said: “To every trans kid/person, you are apart of MY community & tribe. You belong. You’re loved. You’re seen. You’re perfect as you are & you will always be protected by me.”

Kanter Freedom reportedly spoke with police officers before exiting Chicago’s Wintrust Arena.

The Fever won the match 113-90.

“There’s so many good things about this league and so many good things about the play of these players, that if you come to a game, you should probably come to enjoy the basketball,” said Sky head coach Tyler Marsh.

“That seems pretty simple to me. I think these players deserve that and have earned that. Being a former basketball player, you should probably understand and feel that, too.”

On Saturday, the Sky’s win over Golden State Valkyries was one of two WNBA matches interrupted after sex toys were thrown on to the court.

There were similar incidents last season when six WNBA matches in Atlanta, New York and Los Angeles were interrupted.

USA Today, external reported the same group responsible for last year’s incidents has said it will continue to disrupt WNBA games to protest against the league’s policy on transgender athletes.

The WNBA operates under a collective bargaining agreement (CBA), a deal negotiated between the league and its players association (WNBPA), setting rules on matters including player salary caps, revenue sharing, benefits and overall league operations.

On player eligibility, the CBA states: “Only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA.”

There are no transgender athletes currently competing in the league, but intense debate in the US has been sparked by recent comments from Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham – who played in Sunday’s match in Chicago – questioning the current rules.