Enes Freedom has revealed private correspondence with Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham following his controversial ejection from WNBA play, offering a glimpse into their relationship as his dispute over a courtside incident heads to federal court.
Speaking on Fox News Channel Big weekend showThe former NBA player said Cunningham contacted him after he was suspended from the Indiana Fever-Chicago Sky game at Wintrust Arena on Aug. 23. According to Freedom, Cunningham asked him a simple question: “What happened?”
Freedom did not release screenshots of the messages, indicate who initiated the correspondence, or disclose the rest of their conversation.
What Freedom Told Sophie Cunningham
Freedom said he responded to Cunningham, explaining his version of the incident that led to security escorting him from the arena.
“I just stood up, threw my arms up and said, ‘I’m here to protect my friends,’” Freedom remembers telling her.
The exchange is significant because Freedom has publicly called Cunningham a friend and has repeatedly praised her stance on women’s sports.
“She stands up for the truth,” Freedom said, before calling Cunningham an “idol” and an “American hero.”
He added that he was glad someone from the WNBA spoke publicly about what he called defending “American values.”
However, Cunningham herself did not publicly describe their relationship in the same terms, and the brief question revealed by Freedom remains the only part of their private correspondence made public.
Sophie Cunningham’s comments on women’s sport
Cunningham has previously spoken out about transgender participation in women’s sports, saying she wanted to “protect young girls” from competing against “biological males.”
Indiana Fever’s security guard also rejected suggestions that her comments meant she hated transgender people.
However, her public stance should be distinguished from Freedom’s broader campaign involving the WNBA’s rules of participation.
Freedom said he is eligible to enter the 2027 WNBA Draft, called for changes to the league’s eligibility language and summoned WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert to a public summit.
Cunningham has not been publicly identified as complicit in these efforts.
What happened during Freedom’s expulsion from the WNBA?
Freedom said his support of Cunningham led him to the Fever-Sky match in Chicago.
During the game, Chicago Sky defender Natasha Cloud made comments towards Svoboda. He subsequently stood up from his seat, extended his arms and walked towards the court before security intervened and escorted him out of the arena.
Svoboda described his actions as an attempt to protect his friends. The circumstances of his removal have since become part of a legal dispute over why arena officials kicked him out.
Lawsuit for Enes’ freedom escalates legal dispute
Freedom filed a lawsuit in federal court against the Chicago Sky and other defendants over its removal and indefinite ban from the arena.
His lawsuit claims he was wrongfully punished for his performance, turning a high-profile WNBA legal battle into a legal battle.
Chicago Sky owner Michael Alter disputed Freedom’s account, calling the complaint “baseless and without merit.” Alter claims Freedom was removed because of his behavior, not the message on his shirt.
Newly disclosed text message exchanges establish only a limited connection between Cunningham and the dispute. Freedom said she asked him what happened after his ouster, although there is no public evidence that Cunningham joined his broader campaign over the WNBA’s admissions policies.