Attorneys for Enes Kanter Freedom filed a public records request seeking documents tied to his ejection and ban from Wintrust Arena after a Chicago Sky game.
Attorneys acting for Enes Kanter Freedom filed a six-page public records request Friday with the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, the government body that owns Wintrust Arena. Security removed Kanter Freedom from a Chicago Sky game six days earlier. The America First Policy Institute submitted Friday's request on his behalf under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act. Jackson Thompson of OutKick reported the filing.
The request seeks agreements among the authority, arena operator Oak View Group, the Sky, and the WNBA. It also asks for security policies, law enforcement agreements, records identifying who authorized Kanter Freedom's removal and his subsequent ban from the building, and documents detailing the arena's receipt of federal funding. AFPI asked the authority to preserve emails, text messages, and internal communications. The request asks for records on a rolling basis.
The authority is a municipal corporation created by the Illinois General Assembly. Its board members are appointed by the governor of Illinois and the mayor of Chicago. Wintrust Arena seats 10,000 and operates through a public-private partnership with DePaul University.
No lawsuit has been filed. AFPI chief legal affairs officer Leigh Ann O'Neill said in a statement that Kanter Freedom exercised a constitutional right by attending the game, and that the group is seeking documents to hold public entities accountable. The records request does not itself establish that a constitutional right was violated.
Alter's Account of the Ejection
Sky owner Michael Alter announced the ban Tuesday in a news conference with Chicago reporters. Alter said he spoke with numerous people sitting in the area, and that each of them told him the exchange started with Kanter Freedom, who began chirping at Sky point guard Natasha Cloud in the third quarter in what Alter believed was an effort to provoke her, according to ESPN.
"[Kanter Freedom] has demonstrated to us unequivocally that he has the potential to be a threat," Alter said. "That he is not able to control himself to the extent where we can be comfortable that he may [not] step towards the court again and towards the players."
"So that is the basis for which we will not permit him into the building until such time as he can prove otherwise," Alter continued.
Kanter Freedom sat courtside in a black T-shirt that read: "WOMAN noun. adult human female." Cloud walked toward him and shouted at him when a timeout was called. He stood with his arms outstretched and took a few steps toward the court before security cut him off and directed him to leave.
Indiana beat Chicago 113-90 on Aug. 23. Caitlin Clark scored 37 points and handed out 10 assists, and her 8 3-pointers were a career high. The Fever made 18 3-pointers, a franchise record. Kelsey Mitchell added 30 points. Cloud finished with 16 points, 4 rebounds, and 7 assists. Cloud did not speak with reporters afterward and met with team and league security instead.
Security's job is not to wait for a threat to intensify, in Alter's telling.
"That all changed when he made a decision to stand up from his seat again, on the court, put his arms out, point a finger at the player on the court, Natasha Cloud," Alter explained. "And most importantly, he took a step towards the court."
Freedom's Response and Letter to the WNBA
Kanter Freedom said he never crossed the baseline and that the step captured on video was his last. He put the cost of the courtside tickets at roughly $4,000 and has requested a refund. Alter sat for an interview with OutKick on Wednesday and was asked why security did not warn Kanter Freedom first. Alter said he could not speak to Kanter Freedom's intent beyond his actions.
"He wasn't given a warning because certain threats don't get warnings," Alter said.
Kanter Freedom said he broke no rules and did not speak to any players.
"We might be looking into a lawsuit for sure because this is unacceptable," Kanter Freedom said on Fox News' "Hannity."
On Wednesday, Kanter Freedom sent a letter to WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert asking for answers to five questions within five business days. The letter requests the league to specify who issued the ejection. It also inquires about the league's policy for treating some spectators differently. Kanter Freedom asked for confirmation on whether Cloud's behavior will be reviewed, a refund for the courtside tickets, and the preservation of related videos, security reports, and communications regarding his attendance and removal. He called the ejection "apparent selective enforcement" of league and arena policies in the letter, which OutKick obtained.
Kanter Freedom played 11 NBA seasons after Utah drafted him third overall in 2011.
The WNBA's Eligibility Language
The WNBA Fan Code of Conduct calls for immediate ejection of guests who fight, throw objects, or attempt to enter the court. The 2026 WNBA Official Rule Book carries a warning provision under "Verbal Fan Interference." That provision covers a spectator whose verbal abuse interferes with a coach communicating with players during a game or a huddle.
The collective bargaining agreement signed in March states that only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA. It carries no further definition. The league has not published a policy governing the eligibility of transgender or intersex athletes. No known transgender woman has played in the WNBA.
Kanter Freedom and Royce White declared their intention to enter the 2027 draft after saying they identify as women. Multiple outlets reported Monday that neither is eligible. Cameron Brink criticized Kanter Freedom this week. Alter said Tuesday that nobody cared about the shirt.
Chicago dropped to 15-23 with the Aug. 23 loss and was eliminated from the playoff race that night. Washington clinched its first playoff berth since 2023 two days later. The Sky are 15-24 and fifth in the Eastern Conference.
Chicago plays at New York on Saturday. Its next home game is Sept. 17 against Washington. Indiana has no remaining games at Wintrust Arena this season.
