Chicago Sky coach discusses altercation between Enes Kanter Freedom and Natasha Cloud
Chicago Sky coach Tyler Marsh addresses the altercation between Enes Kanter Freedom and Natasha Cloud and shares his perspective on the incident.
Former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom got into a shouting match with Chicago Sky guard Natasha Cloud in the waning minutes of the third quarter and was subsequently ejected from a game against the Indiana Fever in Chicago on Sunday, Aug. 23.
Kanter Freedom has been outspoken about the trans athlete debate surrounding the WNBA, declaring himself eligible for the 2027 league draft on social media on Aug. 7, saying he identifies as a woman. He was sitting courtside at Wintrust Arena in a t-shirt that said: “WOMAN noun. adult human female.”
Since the league’s inception, the collective bargaining agreement has said “only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA.” No further definition of a woman is given. The WNBA has no publicly available policy governing eligibility of transgender or intersex athletes.
Cloud approached Kanter Freedom when a timeout was called with 1:22 to go in the third quarter. He stood up, arms outstretched and approached the court. Cloud was held back by teammates and Kanter Freedom was surrounded by security. He was eventually escorted out.
Cloud finished the contest and had a team-high 16 points and seven assists in the Sky’s 113-90 loss to the Fever. She voiced her frustration with sex toys being thrown onto the court after Friday’s game, another product of the controversy surrounding trans athletes.
Cloud posted this message on social media postgame: “To every trans kid/person, You are apart of MY community & tribe. You belong. You’re loved. You’re seen. You’re perfect as you are. & you will always be protected by me.”
Chicago Sky coach Tyler Marsh said he respected Cloud standing up for her beliefs.
“Tash didn’t want to feel like she was a distraction,” Chicago Sky coach Tyler Marsh said postgame. “I told her she wasn’t … that we all embrace her as someone that protects our team and protects people that need to be protected.
“Tash’s always gonna stand on that, and we stand for Tash.”
As for Kanter Freedom attending the game with what seemed to be an ulterior motive, Marsh said: “If you come to a game, you should probably come to enjoy the basketball. That seems pretty simple to me. I think these players deserve that, and I’ve earned that. Being a former basketball player, you should probably understand and feel that, too.”
The WNBA and Chicago Sky did not immediately respond to USA TODAY Sports’ request for comment.
Transgender athlete debate draws dueling protests outside Fever-Liberty game
USA TODAY Sports’ Meghan L. Hall was on site ahead of Fever vs. Liberty in Brooklyn, NY to speak with protesters on opposing sides of the debate over transgender athletes in sports.
Sports Seriously, Studio IX
WNBA continues to face scrutiny
Although no transgender women play in the WNBA, the league has become a lightning rod for the topic following comments made by Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham in an ESPN story. Cunningham then doubled down, saying young girls playing sports “shouldn’t have to go against biological men.”
Controversy has followed. A Seattle Storm co-owner was suspended for five home games for comments she made to Cunningham fans. On Aug. 16, a security guard at an Atlanta Dream vs. Indiana Fever game asked two fans to cover up their XX-XY shirts. XX-XY Athletics opposes transgender athletes in women’s sports and was founded by Jennifer Sey, a former gymnast and former Levi Strauss chief marketing officer who says her brand exists to “protect women’s sports and spaces.”
WNBA coaches recently weighed in on the ongoing controversies. The Minnesota Lynx’s Cheryl Reeve called for less hate and more love, while the Golden State Valkyries’ Natalie Nakase didn’t want to give the conversation “oxygen,” saying “transgender kids belong.” Dallas Wings coach Jose Fernandez said, “I’m not partaking in the circus and everything that takes away from our team, the league. This (expletive) is not happening in the NFL, MLB, NBA.”
Commissioner Cathy Engelbert has faced calls for resignation and criticism for not swiftly handling the issue. The league put out a statement Aug. 12 denouncing “bad faith actors,” and Engelbert first spoke publicly to the Associated Press on Aug. 20, saying: “People are trying to use the league to sow divisiveness. … We’re being made the center of a political football by individuals who have never watched the WNBA, never written about it, or reported on it. These voices are using our league as a platform for their own agendas, rather than supporting our athletes and the growth of women’s sports.”
Transgender athletes legislation
Cunningham’s comments on transgender athlete participation and the ensuing conversation came after the U.S. Supreme Court upheld states’ right to ban transgender girls and women from participation in women’s sports.
Legislation passed in 27 states barring transgender girls and women from participating in women’s sports is aimed at a small portion of the population — 1% of people aged 13 and over in the U.S. identify as transgender, according to a 2025 study by the Williams Institute at UCLA Law.
The Human Rights Campaign reported in 2023 that 19% of transgender youth nationwide were playing sports, including fewer than 1,300 who played sports in school.
USA TODAY reporters Meghan L. Hall and Callie Fin contributed to this report.