Sky owner declines to say if Kanter Freedom would be allowed to play at Wintrust Arena amid attendance ban
Chicago Sky principal owner Michael Alter was willing to discuss Enes Kanter Freedom’s ban from Wintrust Arena. He was less interested in exploring one possible exception.
During an exclusive interview with OutKick, Alter was asked whether the ban would still apply if Freedom were to be an opposing player set to play at the Sky next season, as Freedom has affirmed his intent to declare for the WNBA Draft.
“Now, this ban extends to his attendance at games,” OutKick asked. “If he is playing on a WNBA team next year and that team is scheduled to play the Sky, is he allowed to come and play the Sky?”
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Alter did not entertain the hypothetical.
“That’s a good one,” he said. “I’m not gonna comment on that ridiculous question. Thank you. Why would you even ask that question? I mean, do you really care about the truth here, or do you just wanna have fun with this whole thing?”
The question followed Alter’s announcement that Freedom had been banned from future Sky games after security ejected him from Sunday’s game against the Indiana Fever. The organization determined that Freedom became a potential threat when he stepped toward the court during a confrontation with Sky guard Natasha Cloud.
Freedom, an 11-year NBA veteran, has also announced that he intends to enter the 2027 WNBA Draft. He argues that the league’s collective bargaining agreement limits eligibility to women without expressly defining the term according to biological sex.
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Turkish-American former basketball player and human rights activist Enes Kanter Freedom is seen prior to a game between the Indiana Fever and the Chicago Sky at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Ill., on Aug. 23, 2026. (IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
Multiple media outlets have reported that Freedom is not eligible for the draft. Freedom nevertheless insists he will pursue a roster spot if the league does not change its eligibility language.
That created the unlikely scenario presented to Alter: A man banned from attending Sky games as a spectator, potentially returning to Wintrust Arena in a visiting uniform.
Alter’s response left the hypothetical distinction between banned fan and visiting WNBA player unresolved.
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Freedom, however, has made his position clear.
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Former basketball player Enes Kanter Freedom and Natasha Cloud #9 of the Chicago Sky yell at one another during the second half between the Chicago Sky and the Indiana Fever at Wintrust Arena on August 23, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Asked whether he still planned to pursue a roster spot, he said, “I’m doing it.”
The WNBA has not officially confirmed that Freedom is not eligible to play in the WNBA, and Freedom says he has not received any notice from the WNBA about his eligibility.
