Natasha Cloud addressed the aftermath of Enes Kanter Freedom’s removal from a Chicago Sky game, calling him “irrelevant” and redirecting attention to issues affecting women.
Chicago Sky guard Natasha Cloud spoke to reporters in New York on Saturday but avoided mentioning Enes Kanter Freedom. Kanter Freedom was removed from a game at Wintrust Arena six days earlier after a verbal dispute with Cloud, and Saturday was her first chance to address the incident.
The issues Cloud raised instead were domestic violence, sexual assault, food insecurity, access to health care, and mortality among women, according to the Chicago Sun-Times' Alissa Hirsh.
"I won't be talking about anything that happened with an irrelevant person," Cloud said. "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."
Kanter Freedom sat courtside on Aug. 23 in a black T-shirt that read "WOMAN noun. adult human female." Indiana called a timeout with 1:22 left in the third quarter of a 113-90 win. Cloud walked toward him, shouted, and pointed. Kanter Freedom stood, extended his arms, and took a step toward the floor before security cut him off and escorted him out. Cloud met with team and league security afterward and did not address the media that night.
Sky's owner, Michael Alter, announced Kanter Freedom is suspended from games at Wintrust Arena until he complies with rules. Alter said he spoke with fans near Kanter Freedom, who told him the confrontation started with Kanter Freedom criticizing Cloud in the third quarter. Kanter Freedom insists he didn’t break rules, never meant to step on court, and had already taken his last step.
According to Cloud, Alter responded immediately and she feels fully supported by Alter, GM Jeff Pagliocca, and Sky coach Tyler Marsh.
"We're asking for protection, and that's what protection looks like from a man," Cloud explained. "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."
Attorneys acting for Kanter Freedom filed a six-page public records request Friday with the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, the government body that owns Wintrust Arena. No lawsuit has been filed.
Cloud's one-word answer for why the WNBA keeps drawing cultural and political fights was "Men," OutKick's Jackson Thompson reported.
"The men now that are like, 'Oh, we need to protect the WNBA,' y'all were the same ones saying we shouldn't be paid," Cloud said. "Y'all were the same ones saying we shouldn't have been invested in, saying we're a joke, the same ones that don't respect Black women. So, if you're going to protect women, that means all women. That includes Black women, trans women and the list goes on."
Kanter Freedom announced this month that he now identifies as a woman and plans toenter the 2027 WNBA draft to protest the league's eligibility rules. The collective bargaining agreement, signed in March, specifies that only women are eligible but provides no additional definition. The league has yet to publish a policy on the eligibility of transgender or intersex athletes. Cameron Brink criticized Kanter Freedom this week.
Staying silent disserves the communities Cloud cares about, and she has a platform to highlight them.
"None of this is performative," Cloud said. "I don't want to put myself in front of fires all the time. I don't want to be the one that always has to speak up, but somebody has to [expletive] do it."
Cloud scored 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting in the Sky's 85-66 loss to the New York Liberty a few hours later. She made her only 3-point attempt and went 1-of-2 from the free-throw line.
Chicago signed Cloud on May 4 after she went unsigned during the preseason. Now in her 11th WNBA season, she leads the Sky with 5.0 assists per game and has set a career high with a 47.5% shooting accuracy. Cloud played last season with New York and will be with Phoenix in 2024. Her first eight seasons were with Washington, where she still holds the franchise record for assists with 1,258.
On Aug. 18, Cloud scored a career-high 35 points with 9 rebounds and 6 assists against the Liberty. She became the first Sky player to record 35 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists in a game. Three days later she made all 5 of her 3-point attempts against the Golden State Valkyries, tying her career high for 3-pointers in a game. Cloud finished the Aug. 23 loss with 16 points, 4 rebounds, and 7 assists.
The Sky are 15-25 and fifth in the Eastern Conference. Chicago was eliminated from the playoff race on Aug. 23. Its next home game is Sept. 17 against the Washington Mystics.
