Former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom stated that Chicago Sky guard Natasha Cloud directed a vulgar comment and repeatedly swore at him before security personnel escorted him out of Sunday night's game between the Sky and the Indiana Fever.
Freedom, who was seated near the baseline at Wintrust Arena, explained that the incident began after he reacted to a three-point shot made by Fever guard Sophie Cunningham.
"Sophie Cunningham shot a three, and I put my hands up to celebrate," Freedom recounted. "Literally, a couple possessions later, Natasha came back and started screaming and yelling and said, ‘She’s not gonna sleep with you.’"
He continued, "And I was like, ‘I am not trying to sleep with her. I’m just here to protect women and support her.’ And then, obviously, after that she started yapping, and she started to walk towards me, and literally I just got up, and then I was like, ‘I’m just here to protect women, and that’s all.’"
Video footage of the event shows Cloud approaching Freedom, shouting and pointing at him late in the third quarter. Freedom rose from his seat, extended his arms, and took a step onto the court as both security staff and Sky players moved to separate the two.
Freedom asserted that Cloud then began using expletives in the presence of young spectators.
"She started to yell. She started to use some very heavy language. She started to actually cuss, and I was very shocked that there were a lot of kids and that there were a lot of teenagers at that game," Freedom stated.
"I just cannot believe that she was just cussing and using those F-bombs in front of all these kids. I’m sure she’s loved in Chicago and many kids are idolizing her and stuff, but that’s not how a WNBA athlete should react."
The confrontation unfolded with 1:22 remaining in the third quarter, shortly after Cloud scored inside and celebrated with her teammate Aicha Coulibaly. Cloud then turned and advanced toward Freedom, who was wearing a black shirt emblazoned with the text: "WOMAN noun. adult human female."
He believes his attire played a significant role in Cloud’s reaction.
"I was cheering for my friend Sophie because when she shot that three, I put my hands in the air," Freedom explained. "A couple possessions later, she came back and said, ‘She’s not gonna sleep with you.’ And I was shocked. I was like, ‘Listen, I’m not trying to sleep with her. I think she’s awesome. She’s a good friend.’ But I think it has a lot to do with my shirt."
"I was obviously wearing a shirt explaining what a woman is, and I think that had a lot to do with what she thinks about women. I think it triggered her a lot."
Cloud's Post-Game Comments and Team's Defense
Following the game, Cloud shared a message directed at the transgender community on Threads:
To every trans kid/person, You are apart of MY community & tribe. You belong. You’re loved. You’re seen. You’re perfect as you are. & you will always be protected by me.
Cloud was not made available to reporters during the team's postgame press conference.
Sky coach Tyler Marsh defended Cloud after the game, telling members of the press, "We all embrace her as someone who protects our team and protects people who need to be protected."
Freedom's Ejection and WNBA Aspirations
Freedom reported that security personnel approached him and instructed him to leave without offering a reason.
"I was like, ‘Can you please tell me why I need to leave?’ They said, ‘Look, you just need to leave,’" Freedom recalled. "They pretty much pushed me to leave the gym."
However, Freedom maintains that the verbal exchange with Cloud had no connection to the topic of transgender individuals or his stated goal to play in the WNBA.
"Definitely not," Freedom affirmed, regarding any link between the interaction and those issues.
Footage from the arena captured staff members touching Freedom and engaging in what appeared to be an intense conversation as he was being led away. Freedom stated he asked an arena employee not to touch him during his escort from the court.
"I told her, ‘First of all, please don’t touch me because I didn’t do anything wrong. I can get myself out of the game,’" he said. "And the second, I was like, ‘Do you guys realize that you guys are only kicking me out of this game because I support women and I try to protect women?’"
Freedom said security once again declined to provide a reason for his removal.
"They were like, ‘Listen, we can’t give you any reason right now. Just leave, please,’" he stated. "I played 11 years of basketball in the NBA, and I know how tough the security’s job can get. So I didn’t want to make their job even tougher."
According to Freedom, the Sky organization had advance notice of his attendance. He mentioned that his manager had informed Sky general manager Jeff Pagliocca before the game about his plans to be there.
"My manager texted the GM of the Chicago Sky," Freedom explained. "We texted him and said, ‘Hey, just so you know, we are coming to the game. We’re not here to cause any kind of drama. We’re not here to cause anything bad. We are just here to watch the game and leave in peace.’ My manager texted the GM, and he said, ‘Enjoy the game.’ That’s it."
Cloud met with team and league security following the game but did not address reporters.
The Indiana Fever ultimately defeated the Chicago Sky with a score of 113-90. Caitlin Clark led the Fever with 37 points, while Kelsey Mitchell contributed 30.
Advocacy and WNBA Draft Intentions
Before the game, Freedom attended a rally in support of Cunningham outside the arena. Cunningham has been the subject of protests and counterprotests due due to her public stance against transgender girls and women participating in female sports categories.
Earlier this month, Freedom declared his intention to enter the 2027 WNBA Draft. He has stated that his goal is to utilize the league’s existing regulations to prompt a clarification of its eligibility criteria.
The WNBA’s collective bargaining agreement specifies that "only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA," but it does not publicly define the term "women" or establish specific eligibility requirements for transgender athletes. Currently, no transgender woman is publicly known to have competed in the league.
After Freedom and former NBA player Royce White announced their intentions to enter the draft, the WNBA indicated that its anti-hate task force had engaged in discussions regarding transgender athletes and online harassment directed at players.
"There are no immediate eligibility matters affecting the WNBA, and we strongly denounce the bad-faith efforts to use these topics to demean or marginalize others," the league stated in its August 12 announcement.
Freedom rejected any portrayal of his campaign as anti-transgender or anti-LGBTQ.
"I want to make that very clear because, unfortunately, many media organizations and many journalists are making me look like I am anti-trans or anti-LGBTQ," he asserted. "That is wrong. I respect anyone’s personal decision, and I do respect any kind of group out there."
Freedom stated that the recent confrontation has only strengthened his resolve to pursue a spot in the league.
"If anything, I’m more pumped up," he said. "I cannot wait to go against Natasha now. I think it will be fun for me if I get drafted by any other team. I don’t think Chicago will select me. We know that now. But any other team, I just cannot wait to go against her."
Freedom indicated that he has not received any communication from the WNBA since announcing his plans. He expressed willingness to engage directly with WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert.
"If the commissioner of the WNBA wants to sit down and have a conversation with me, I am open to do that as well," Freedom said. "I respect everybody, and I would like to listen to everybody and see what their perspective is."
Personal Reflections and Future Outlook
Freedom noted that Sunday marked his first time attending a WNBA game in person, despite regularly watching the league throughout his NBA career.
"I’m obviously a huge fan of basketball, a huge fan of women’s basketball, and I was there to watch the game," Freedom commented. "I watched on TV so many times, obviously, but I think this was my first WNBA game ever."
Freedom confirmed he had no prior interaction with Cloud before their recent exchange. Despite the confrontation, he commended the veteran guard's skill and impact on the court.
"I think she’s an excellent player," Freedom remarked. "I don’t really know what she does off the court, so I can’t really speak about it. But I think on the court, she makes herself better and she makes everyone else better around her, and I think that’s a very special player."
After leaving the arena, Freedom described an encounter with a young girl and her mother as he was preparing for dinner, which he characterized as the most emotional part of his evening.
"One of those little girls came with her mother, and then her mother said, ‘Thank you for what you’re doing for my little daughter,’" Freedom shared. "I think that was the most emotional part of the whole night."
Freedom stated that this interaction reinforced his conviction that the issue should not be viewed through a partisan lens.
"This is not a right or left issue," he said. "People need to understand this is not a political issue. This is just common sense. People are trying to make me look like I’m taking a political stance. People are wrong."
He attributes his current pursuit of a WNBA spot to Golden State Valkyries player Gabby Williams.
"If they don’t come up with a rule, then I am ready and prepared to play in May and just get ready for the draft in April," Freedom stated. "These are the rules. People are mad at me. I’m confused why people are mad at me. These are the rules that literally they put, so I’m just literally following their rules."
The 6-foot-10 former center intends to play for more than just a single season if permitted by the league.
"I’m 34 now, and I can go out there and dunk everything," Freedom claimed. "I watched the game tonight. I feel like every time I touch the ball, I can dunk everything, so the physical advantage obviously is there. I think I can play till 40, 45. I don’t even think there is a limit, as long as I want."
When questioned about whether he would feel any guilt competing against women or entering a WNBA locker room, Freedom replied that he would not.
"Why would I?" he asked. "These are the rules that they set, and I’m just following their rules. All these players, all these coaches and the league itself advocated and encouraged this whole thing. You see all these players come out and say, ‘I will welcome a trans athlete on my team or against my team.’ And the same thing with coaches. You see all these T-shirts that they’re wearing. So, because of that, I would not feel any guilt."
Freedom identified the Indiana Fever as his preferred team, expressing a desire to play alongside Caitlin Clark.
"I think we need to bring back the modern-day Kobe and Shaq, so I think I’m going with the Indiana Fever, for sure," he said. "Me and Caitlin will be the modern-day Kobe and Shaq."
Royce White, another former NBA player, also announced his intention to enter the WNBA draft shortly after Freedom. Freedom clarified that the two former NBA players have never communicated and are not coordinating their efforts.
"He is his own man. I’m doing my own thing," Freedom stated. "What Royce is doing is going to affect him, and what I’m doing is going to affect me. So we are two separate people. We’re doing our own thing, and I’m not affiliated with anyone."
However, Freedom claimed that other former professional players have privately expressed interest in following his lead. He mentioned being in discussions with two former NBA players, three European players, and three NBA G League players.
"You’ll be shocked, actually, other than one other player that already came out, how many other players I’m actually talking to right now," Freedom said. "There are two former NBA players, three European players and three G League players that I’m currently talking to about this whole thing."
Freedom indicated that the G League players highlighted the potential financial incentive offered by the WNBA’s new salary structure.
"The G League players said, ‘Listen, we are only making $45,000 a year. All we have to do is identify as a woman, and we will be making $1.4 million a year,’" Freedom stated. "That’s almost a $1.3 million difference. So the WNBA has no idea what they’re about to face."
Freedom also shared that he has received death threats and abusive messages since making his draft intentions public.
"I do get a lot of death threats and cuss words every day," he said. "I really want people to understand I’m not doing this for any kind of political reasons. This is not a right or left issue. I’m only here to defend women."
Freedom confirmed he has not discussed his campaign with Cunningham or any current WNBA players or coaches. He reiterated that no one from the league has contacted him since his announcement, but he remains open to direct engagement with its leadership.
"I’m here to sit down and listen," Freedom said. "If the commissioner or whoever wants to sit down and have a conversation with me about this whole thing, then I would love to sit down and hear her side."
