Enes Kanter Freedom, the former NBA center now pursuing a spot in the WNBA, has given his account of a furious courtside confrontation with Chicago Sky guard Natasha Cloud during Sunday night's game against Sophie Cunningham and the Indiana Fever.
Cloud had to be held back by security after storming over to Freedom, who was sitting courtside at Wintrust Arena, sparking a heated argument during the second half. The Sky star was pulled away by security and teammates before returning to the game, while Freedom was escorted out of the arena by staff.
Freedom has alleged that it was Cloud who initiated the confrontation, claiming she told him Cunningham "won't sleep with you."
Kanter Freedom's version of events
Speaking to OutKick, Freedom said: "Sophie Cunningham shot a three, and I put my hands up to celebrate. Literally, a couple possessions later, Natasha came back and started screaming and yelling and said, 'She's not gonna sleep with you.'"
"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.'"
Freedom said Cloud "started to use some very heavy language" and swore repeatedly. "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," he said.
Freedom's response on social media
Writing on X after he was removed by security, Freedom said: "I just got kicked out of a @WNBA game for supporting WOMEN! Let that sink in, AMERICA!" He added: "It's always women hating on other women."
In a separate video, Freedom was seen arguing with security after being escorted away from his courtside seat, telling them: "This is unacceptable."
Who is Kanter Freedom
Freedom, who is 6-foot-10 and spent more than a decade in the NBA with teams including the Utah Jazz and New York Knicks, recently sent shockwaves through women's basketball by revealing he wants to play alongside Caitlin Clark, saying he has declared for the WNBA Draft.
Confronted by fans outside the arena
Earlier in the night, Freedom was confronted by furious fans as he arrived at Wintrust Arena for the Fever-Sky clash. He wore a T-shirt printed with a definition of the word woman: "Woman. Noun. Adult human female," with the words "woman" and "female" highlighted in red.
Not everyone welcomed him. One fan called the 34-year-old a "b**** a** n****" and told him to "get [his] b**** a** out of Chicago," while another shouted "f*** you b****" and a third held up their middle finger as Freedom, flanked by police, stood outside the venue. "We are getting attacked before the @WNBA game in Chicago," he wrote alongside footage of the incident. Other fans in Chicago greeted him with cheers and high-fives.
A season of WNBA protests
There have been regular protests and counter-protests at WNBA games in recent weeks, after Cunningham sparked controversy by saying she wants to "protect young girls" from "biological men." On Sunday, a "save women's sports party" was held in Chicago in support of Cunningham and Freedom, who stopped by to greet fans before heading inside to watch Cunningham and Clark face a rematch with the Sky and DiJonai Carrington.
Carrington's foul on Cunningham
Toward the end of the first quarter, Cunningham was driving toward the basket when she was struck in the face by Carrington's arm. Carrington was assessed a flagrant 2 and ejected, leaving the court as Cunningham and Clark waved her off. Carrington later posted "WHITE PRIVILEGE @indianafever" on social media, sparking a fresh WNBA scandal. Earlier this month, Cunningham had accused Carrington of "playing" the race "card" after the Sky guard appeared to suggest Cunningham benefited from white privilege during an earlier fracas.
Cloud's earlier comments on fan behavior
Cloud made headlines of her own last week after a tirade about the sex-toy-throwing incidents that have disrupted several WNBA games. Speaking to reporters after Chicago's win over the Golden State Valkyries on Friday, she said: "It's lame as f***; sorry, mama. And I just, man, and like, in most of these occasions, it's men. And I want you to know that is the gayest thing that you can do is to go to a store, a sex shop, buy a d****, come to a women's game to throw the d**** on the court."
Cloud called those responsible "extremely weak," saying their actions do not rattle players on the court and instead reflect poorly on the fans behind them. "Y'all lame as s*** to us. Y'all gay to us and we see it," she said. "So keep throwing them if you just want to keep telling us you're gay. You can come out. You'll be happier."
She closed her comments by questioning how those responsible explain the purchases to their financial advisers. "Like it says d**** on their credit card," she said. "Like they have to go through their financial advisor and be like, 'What's this green d****? You good, Chad? You good, Richard? Are you good, Paul?' Because it also is a certain demographic. Y'all cool? Are y'all cool? And don't be running."
