Enes Kanter Freedom says his support for Sophie Cunningham has included a private exchange with the Indiana Fever guard.
During an appearance on Fox News’ “The Big Weekend Show,” Kanter Freedom said he exchanged texts with Cunningham following his Aug. 23 ejection from the Fever-Chicago Sky game at Wintrust Arena. Her question, according to Kanter Freedom, was direct: “What happened?”
Kanter Freedom said he answered, “I just got up and opened my arms in the air and said, ‘I’m here to protect my friends.’”
He did not release screenshots, reveal the rest of the conversation or identify who texted first. Cunningham’s question is therefore the only piece of their private correspondence Kanter Freedom has made public.
Kanter Freedom used the disclosure to describe their relationship as a friendship grounded in shared views on women’s sports.
“She’s standing for the truth… I think she’s an idol now and an American hero,” Kanter said. “I’m just really happy that finally someone from the WNBA got up and said, ‘Enough is enough. We have to stand for American values.’”
Cunningham previously said she wanted to “protect young girls” from competing against “biological men,” while rejecting claims that she hates transgender people. Unlike Kanter Freedom, however, she has not publicly joined a broader campaign against the WNBA’s eligibility policies.
That boundary matters.
Kanter Freedom declared himself eligible for the 2027 WNBA Draft, demanded that the league revise its eligibility language and challenged Commissioner Cathy Engelbert to a public summit. Cunningham has not been identified as a collaborator in those efforts.
Kanter Freedom said his support for Cunningham brought him courtside for the Fever-Sky matchup. After Chicago guard Natasha Cloud directed comments toward him, Kanter Freedom stood, extended his arms and moved toward the court before security escorted him from the arena.
The episode has since entered federal court. Kanter Freedom sued the Sky and other defendants over his ejection and indefinite arena ban, claiming his speech was unlawfully punished. Sky owner Michael Alter called the complaint “meritless and frivolous,” maintaining that Kanter Freedom was removed for his conduct rather than the message on his shirt.
For now, the evidence of their relationship remains narrow: Kanter Freedom calls Cunningham a friend, and she apparently asked what happened. Anything more expansive remains his characterization, not a public partnership.
