Enes Kanter Freedom opens up on confrontation with Natasha Cloud that led to ejection, WNBA pursuit

Sunday night’s WNBA game between the Indiana Fever and the Chicago Sky at Wintrust Arena in Chicago turned contentious when former NBA center Enes Kanter Freedom was escorted out of the building after a heated exchange with Sky guard Natasha Cloud.

The confrontation unfolded with 1:22 left in the third quarter. Freedom, who was seated near the baseline, said he raised his arms to celebrate a three‑point shot by Fever guard Sophie Cunningham. Moments later, Cloud approached him and, according to Freedom, said, “She’s not gonna sleep with you.” Freedom responded that he was not interested in that, stating, “I’m not trying to sleep with her. I’m just here to protect women and support her.” The encounter escalated as Cloud continued to shout, pointing at Freedom and using profanity in front of a crowd that included many children. Security and Sky players stepped between the two before Freedom was asked to leave.

Freedom told reporters that arena staff asked him to depart without providing a reason. “I asked them, ‘Can you please tell me why I need to leave?’ They said, ‘Look, you just need to leave,’ and then they touched me,” he said. “I told them, ‘Please don’t touch me because I didn’t do anything wrong. I can get myself out of the game.’”

The game itself ended in a 113‑90 victory for the Fever. Caitlin Clark led all scorers with 37 points, while Kelsey Mitchell added 30 for Indiana.

The incident occurs against a backdrop of national debate over gender‑identity policies in women’s sports. Freedom announced earlier this month that he intends to enter the 2027 WNBA Draft, a move that has drawn scrutiny because the league’s collective‑bargaining agreement limits eligibility to “women” without a public definition of that term. He has said his goal is to test the rulebook and defend what he calls women’s sports integrity.

During the game, Freedom wore a black shirt that read, “WOMAN noun. adult human female.” He believes the message contributed to Cloud’s reaction. “I think it triggered her a lot,” he said. “I was cheering for my friend Sophie because when she shot that three, I put my hands in the air. A couple possessions later, she came back and said, ‘She’s not gonna sleep with you.’ And I was shocked.”

After the game, Cloud posted a message on Threads that appeared to address transgender youth: “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.” Sky head coach Tyler Marsh defended Cloud, saying, “We all embrace her as someone who protects our team and protects people who need to be protected.” Cloud was not made available for comment after the game.

Freedom denied that the confrontation was about transgender issues. “Definitely not,” he said when asked whether the exchange was related to those topics. He emphasized that his stance is about protecting women’s sports, not about opposing any group. “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. That is wrong. I respect anyone’s personal decision, and I do respect any kind of group out there.”

The former NBA player added that the episode has only increased his resolve to pursue a spot on a WNBA roster. “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 said he has not been contacted by the WNBA since his announcement and offered to meet with 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,” he said. “I respect everybody, and I would like to listen to everybody and see what their perspective is.”

Earlier Sunday, Freedom attended a rally in support of Cunningham outside the arena. Cunningham has faced protests and counter‑protests after publicly stating her opposition to transgender girls and women competing in female sports divisions.

The WNBA released a statement earlier this month saying its anti‑hate task force had discussed transgender athletes and online attacks against players, adding, “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.”

Freedom noted that his manager had informed Chicago general manager Jeff Pagliocca in advance that he intended to attend the game. “My manager texted the GM of the Sky 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.’ He said, ‘Enjoy the game.’ That’s it,” Freedom recounted.

Royce White, another former NBA player, has also announced his intention to enter the draft, but Freedom said the two have never spoken and are not coordinating their efforts. “He is his own man. I’m doing my own thing,” Freedom said, adding that several other former professionals—two ex‑NBA players, three European players and three G League players—have privately expressed interest in similar moves.

Freedom claimed that G League players have pointed to potential earnings: “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.’ That’s almost a $1.3 million difference. So the WNBA has no idea what they’re about to face.”

Despite receiving death threats and abusive messages since his announcement, Freedom maintained his focus. “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.”

The 34‑year‑old said he feels physically capable of playing for several more seasons. “I’m 34 now, and I can go out there and dunk everything,” he said. “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 asked whether he would feel guilty entering a women’s locker room, Freedom responded, “Why would I? 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.”

Freedom listed the Fever as his preferred destination, mentioning a desire to pair with 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. Me and Caitlin will be the modern‑day Kobe and Shaq,” he said.

The confrontation at Wintrust Arena underscores the ongoing tensions surrounding gender identity policies in women’s professional basketball, a debate that is likely to intensify as more players and former athletes weigh in on eligibility standards.