The debate around transgender participation in women’s sports has spilled into another WNBA game after rallies outside Fever road games. After Natasha Cloud’s heated confrontation with Enes Kanter Freedom, the Chicago Sky and head coach Tyler Marsh have put themselves behind her in support.
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“I haven’t talked to Tash. I talked to the team, and Tash didn’t wanna feel like she was a distraction. I told her she wasn’t,” Marsh told reporters at the post-game press conference on the Chicago Sky YouTube channel, clipped by Front Office Sports’ Colin Salao on X. “I told her that we all embrace her as someone that protects our team and protects people that need to be protected. Tash is always going to stand on that, and we stand for Tash.”
The tense interaction happened between Cloud and Freedom, who was sitting near the baseline, during the third quarter of the Sky’s game against the Indiana Fever. After she scored, Cloud stepped up to Freedom, and the two were involved in a fierce verbal altercation, eventually separated by teammates and officials. As Cloud returned to play, Freedom was escorted away by arena security and removed from the game.
Cloud’s exchange ended up becoming the biggest talking point despite the Sky’s loss. The Sky and Natasha Cloud lost 113-90 and were eliminated from playoff contention. Cloud finished the game with 16 points and seven assists, leading the team in both categories.
When Cloud’s interaction with Freedom happened, the former NBA player left his seat, moving towards the court, before eventually being ejected. Freedom tried to explain to security that he shouldn’t be removed from the game, with Salao capturing a video of him talking to security at the landing area of Wintrust Arena.
“I’m supporting women, and that is the reason they are kicking me out. That’s unacceptable,” Freedom said in the video, which was posted to X.
In the aftermath, though Cloud did not speak to the media, her teammates have stood by the guard in putting the incident behind them, similar to their coach. Sky forward Azura Stevens, who was asked about the incident in the postgame conference, had a blunt response.
“There was just a fan incident, security handled it, and we’re just going to focus on the game,” she said.
Freedom later took to social media to reiterate his claim that he had been removed for “supporting” women.
“I just got kicked out of a @WNBA game for supporting WOMEN! Let that sink in, AMERICA!” he wrote on X. “It’s always women hating on other women.”
Freedom has become a topic of discussion after he publicly expressed support for Sophie Cunningham. Cunningham revealed in an ESPN profile released on July 21 that she did not support “biological males” playing against women. Freedom later announced his intent to declare for the WNBA Draft in 2027, attempting to challenge the WNBA’s eligibility criteria.
With the Sky’s season over when it comes to the playoff race, Marsh’s comments make it clear that the organization fully stands behind their vet, regardless of the circumstances surrounding the confrontation.