Chicago Sky guard Natasha Cloud refused to call Enes Kanter Freedom by name on Saturday in her first comments after their furious courtside confrontation.
Cloud described the former National Basketball Association player as an irrelevant person following his ejection from the WNBA game between the Sky and the Indiana Fever last Sunday in Chicago.
"I won't be talking about anything that happened with an irrelevant person," Cloud told reporters on Saturday. "What I will focus on is what actually affects women and children."
"I will talk about real issues that face women, and it's not our trans human beings," Cloud continued. "It's not our drag queens. It's not our gay community. There is a certain demographic of people that you can generally search."
"It's a simple Google search of what is the greatest threat to women and children in 2026 in the United States of America, and it's not going to be trans people," Cloud added.
Courtside Incident and Ejection in Chicago
The clash occurred during the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky matchup when Kanter Freedom attended the game as a spectator. During the contest, Kanter Freedom wore a shirt defining a woman as an "adult human female."
Tensions flared when Kanter Freedom raised his arms to celebrate a shot made by Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham. Kanter Freedom alleged that Cloud told him, "She's not going to sleep with you."
After the two exchanged words, Cloud attempted to approach the former NBA center and had to be restrained by her Chicago Sky teammates. Security personnel quickly removed Kanter Freedom from the venue and banned him from the arena.
The Women's National Basketball Association, founded in 1996, is the premier professional basketball league for women in North America. The Chicago Sky play their home games in Chicago, Illinois, while the Indiana Fever are based in Indianapolis.
Arena Ban and Team Leadership Response
Two days after the incident, Chicago Sky principal owner Michael Alter announced that Kanter Freedom would no longer be welcome at the arena for future games, labeling him a "potential threat."
Cloud praised the stance taken by team executives following the incident. "We're asking for protection, and that's what protection looks like from a man," Cloud said. "We can't not allow him in the arena before the game, but after the game we can bring solutions to the table that best benefit putting our players first and protecting our players."
"Jeff, Tyler and Michael have done a good job of that. I hope the WNBA follows their lead," Cloud stated.
When asked by reporters why the WNBA continues to experience growing controversy, Cloud responded simply: "Men."
Draft Declaration and League Trans Policy Controversy
Kanter Freedom, a former NBA center who previously played for the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics, sparked controversy earlier this month when he announced his decision to declare for the WNBA Draft. He stated the move was an attempt to bypass the league's trans athlete policy.
Kanter Freedom had previously raised objections regarding the wording in the WNBA eligibility policy. The league hierarchy subsequently reviewed and cleared the policy language.
The ongoing debate over the policy was first sparked by comments from Fever player Sophie Cunningham. In an interview with ESPN, Cunningham divided opinion by stating her desire to "protect young girls" from trans players in basketball.
