Sunday night in Chicago was absolutely wild, and not in a good way for the home team. The Sky not only took a crushing 113-90 loss to the Indiana Fever, but the drama reached a fever pitch when Sky guard Natasha Cloud got into an extremely heated exchange with former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom, leading to his ejection from Wintrust Arena. Adding insult to injury, that loss officially eliminated the Sky from playoff contention, snapping their three-game win streak.
The Sideline Showdown That Rocked the Arena
The whole arena was buzzing after Cloud erupted at Kanter Freedom during the third quarter. He was sitting on the baseline, and after Cloud made a bucket, she went straight at him. Teammates had to hold her back, and then Kanter Freedom himself started taking steps toward the court before security and police stepped in, stopping him and escorting him out. It’s still not clear what started the whole thing, but coach Tyler Marsh backed his player 100%. He told reporters, “I told [Cloud] that we all embrace her as someone that protects our team and protects people that needs to be protected. And so, Tash is always going to stand on that, and we stand for Tash.” Kanter Freedom, who averaged 11.1 points and 7.8 rebounds during his 11 NBA seasons, was even spotted arguing with security and police before he was finally walked out.
“Publicity Stunts” and What The League Thinks
This isn’t Kanter Freedom’s first time stirring the pot lately. He legally changed his last name to “Freedom” in 2021 after becoming a U.S. citizen, and he’s thrown himself right into the middle of the heated discussion around transgender athletes. This whole thing picked up steam after Fever guard Sophie Cunningham spoke out in an ESPN feature, supporting the barring of transgender athletes from women’s sports. Kanter Freedom has been seen wearing a black T-shirt with a definition for the word “woman” on it, and he’s even claiming he’s a “WNBA prospect” on social media. It’s an apparent challenge to the league, which is wild considering there are no transgender players in the WNBA, nor any legitimate eligibility issues facing them. The CBA is clear: “only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA.” A source told Yahoo Sports the league isn’t having it, calling Kanter Freedom’s actions “publicity stunts” they won’t “give oxygen to.” The WNBA has already condemned “bad-faith” actors using “these topics to demean or marginalize others.”
So, on a night full of drama, the Sky ultimately fell short. Natasha Cloud still put up a team-high 16 points and seven assists, fighting hard despite the loss. But Caitlin Clark absolutely went off for the Fever, dropping 37 points and hitting a career-high eight 3-pointers. The Fever, now 25-14 and fifth in the league standings, have already locked up a playoff spot. For the Sky, at 15-22, it’s a bitter pill to swallow knowing their season is officially over. What a tough way for their playoff hopes to end.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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