Ex-Lakers player speaks out in defense of Enes Kanter, doubles down against WNBA's trans issue
Ex-Los Angeles Lakers forward Matt Ryan isn't staying quiet after watching Enes Kanter Freedom get escorted out of Wintrust Arena on Sunday night for standing up for female athletes.
Ryan didn't hold back in Freedom's Instagram comments after the ejection, calling out the WNBA for failing to stand up for female athletes as the league's position on the trans issue keeps falling apart.
He doesn't understand why Enes is catching so much heat.
"Just insane times we are living in," Ryan commented on Freedom’s Instagram on Monday.
"Getting demonized for trying to PROTECT women's sports and calling out the absurdity that the WNBA cannot define what the W is... just unreal and sad. Hopefully you'll force them to come to their senses, be REAL leaders, and protect the future young women."
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Ryan's support for Enes came after Freedom was booted late in the third quarter following a heated courtside exchange with Sky guard Natasha Cloud.
Kanter Freedom was sitting baseline in support of Fever guard Sophie Cunningham, an outspoken advocate for protecting women's sports.
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Before tip-off, Freedom was met by a hostile crowd outside the arena.
Rather than walking back his words after they went viral, Ryan pulled a Sophie Cunningham, heading over to X to double down on his message.
"Yes. This is an '80-20' topic, with [more than] 80% of the country having the most basic of common sense - being able to clearly define what a woman is, and recognizing someone not born as a woman should not participate in women’s sports. There is no transphobia involved in this stance. Every human in the US is free to live as they choose. However, others should not be forced to adhere to absurdity for the sake of feelings.
"The W has a golden opportunity to be PRO- women and protect their league’s integrity. It shouldn’t be difficult. Enes has ZERO intention of stepping foot on a WNBA court - if you can’t recognize that l, I’m not sure how to help you. He’s simply, and very publicly, challenging the highest league in women’s basketball to do what is right."
In an interview with Fox News Digital's Jackson Thompson following his ejection, Freedom explained what triggered the altercation.
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According to Freedom, the drama began after a routine play by Cunningham.
"Sophie Cunningham shot a three, and I put my hands up to celebrate," Freedom said to Fox News Digital. "Literally, a couple possessions later, Natasha came back and started screaming and yelling and said, 'She's not gonna sleep with you.' And I was like, 'I am not trying to sleep with her. I'm just here to protect women and support her.'"
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Freedom said Cloud immediately escalated the exchange with explicit language in front of family audiences.
"She started to use some very heavy language, she started to actually cuss," Freedom said. "I was very shocked that there were a lot of kids and teenagers at that game... using those F-bombs in front of all these kids. That’s not a WNBA athlete reaction."
The courtside exchange nearly stole the spotlight from Indiana’s 113-90 blowout victory. Afterward, Fever superstar Caitlin Clark said she did not see the incident and referred questions to Chicago. Fever head coach Stephanie White dismissed the incident as a "social media thing," while Sky forward Azura Stevens called it a routine "fan incident."
Regardless of those attempts to downplay the scene, Freedom made clear that WNBA leadership is facing a reckoning it can no longer dodge.
"The WNBA has no idea what they're about to face," Freedom noted. "They're still trying to figure out what a woman is. So let's see if they can figure that out... let's see what kind of rules that they're gonna come up with."
With players like Ryan publicly backing Freedom and calling out the league's ideological confusion, the WNBA's attempt to sweep the arena fallout under the rug is failing fast.
Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com / Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela