Former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom called on the WNBA to suspend Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson after she confronted an Indiana Fever fan during Tuesday’s playoff game.
Wilson received a technical foul after leaving the court and approaching the spectator during the fourth quarter of Indiana’s 99-89 victory at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The fan had stood, pointed toward Wilson and appeared to blame her for a foul called on Fever guard Sophie Cunningham.
“I think A’ja Wilson should be suspended,” Freedom told OutKick. “The league should hold her accountable because the fans are the ones that are paying the salaries of these players. As a player, they need to respect fans more.”
Freedom also defended the fan, after he was the subject of scrutiny on social media and in the broadcast booth.
“Listen, he did not do anything wrong,” Freedom said. “He was just very passionate about the game.”
The Fever said arena security interviewed the fan and witnesses and found no violation of the WNBA Fan Code of Conduct.
“Following a report of a comment directed toward a player, arena security spoke with the fan involved and witnesses,” the team said. “Security determined there was no violation of the Fan Code of Conduct, the fan was not removed from the arena. We consider the matter closed.”
The man was escorted away from his seat temporarily but was later allowed to return.
Freedom argued Wilson should have been ejected under Rule 12A, Section V of the WNBA rulebook, which says any player, coach, trainer or other team bench member who deliberately enters the spectator stands during a game will be automatically ejected. The rule also defines the first row of seats as the beginning of the stands. Wilson instead received only a technical foul.
“The rules are very simple and very clear,” Freedom said. “If the fan stepped on the court, he would be thrown out immediately. I think the same rules apply for players as well.
“If the player steps off the court and walks toward the fans and then starts yelling and screaming, I think she should be thrown out immediately. So I think Cathy Engelbert has a tough decision to make. But I think she should be suspended for the next game.”
Freedom said the incident reminded him of his own confrontation with Chicago Sky guard Natasha Cloud in August. Freedom was removed from Wintrust Arena and later banned from Sky home games after he stood from his courtside seat and took a step toward the court while exchanging words with Cloud.
“It’s the same situation,” Freedom said of Wilson’s confrontation. “I saw the fan. He simply got up, pointed at her, and then she just lost her mind. It was a lot of emotions, and then she was yelling and screaming.
“The same thing happened to me. I simply got up, put my hands up in the air, and then Natasha Cloud was barking at me.”
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Sky principal owner Michael Alter told OutKick that Freedom became a “potential threat” when he took the step. Freedom has since filed a federal lawsuit against the Sky, the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority and the City of Chicago, alleging he was ejected and banned because of his speech and viewpoint. The defendants have disputed Freedom’s account.
In terms of Tuesday’s incident, Wilson offered a different assessment after the game, saying she believed the fan had stepped toward her in an unacceptable manner.
“If I’m just walking because I got the foul and I’m just chilling, and if I see a man coming at me, taking steps toward me, pointing at me, I don’t give a damn what you said,” Wilson said. “I don’t give a damn how you said it, the tone, that is unacceptable. You don’t step towards me, you never point at me, that’s unacceptable.”
Wilson apologized to her teammates for receiving the technical foul but stood by her response to the fan. Aces coach Becky Hammon said she did not see the entire exchange but defended Wilson, saying she had never seen the four-time MVP react that way and believed Wilson felt “very disrespected.”
Freedom acknowledged Wilson’s status as one of the league’s premier players while arguing it should bring a greater responsibility to control her reaction.
“A’ja Wilson is the face of the league,” he said. “She is definitely one of the top two or three players, and I do respect her a lot. Obviously, she’s going to be a Hall of Famer. But as someone who’s the face of the league, she definitely needs to control her emotions.”
Freedom, who has made opposition to biological males competing in women’s sports a central part of his recent activism, said he is rooting for Indiana in the series.
“I just hope that they win because the more they win, the more spotlight is going to be on the question of whether they can even define what a woman is,” he said.
Indiana’s victory evened the best-of-three first-round series at one game apiece. Caitlin Clark finished with 27 points, 15 assists and seven rebounds, while Wilson had 22 points and nine rebounds. The decisive Game 3 is scheduled for Thursday night in Las Vegas.
Freedom said he was considering attending the game but had not finalized his plans because of a previously scheduled rally.
“It will be interesting to see what the WNBA comes up with,” he said. “If they suspend her, I will definitely go and cheer for Indiana. Even if they don’t suspend her, it would be nice to go and see what kind of reaction all the fans and all the players are getting.”
However, Freedom did reveal that he is planning to be in attendance for Game 1 of the WNBA Finals on Oct. 17, whichever teams are involved.
“I’m definitely planning to go to WNBA Finals Game 1.”
