RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 15 sourcesIndiana Fever head coach Stephanie White urged reporters not to give Sunday’s courtside confrontation at Wintrust Arena any more attention, calling it a "social media thing," after Enes Kanter Freedom was ejected following a verbal clash with Chicago Sky guard Natasha Cloud.
Freedom has spent weeks exposing the WNBA’s cowardice on transgender eligibility, demanding the league protect biological women from male competition.
The Fever coach made clear she would rather bury the discussion than confront it.
ENES KANTER FREEDOM EJECTED FROM SKY-FEVER GAME AFTER VERBAL ALTERCATION WITH NATASHA CLOUD
"I mean, I think it's important that people like you guys in this room don't give it any gas, right? Like it's a social media thing," White told reporters when asked about the incident postgame.
During a third-quarter timeout with Indiana leading 81-75, Cloud began shouting toward Freedom at courtside and Freedom responded, prompting security to escort the former NBA center from the arena as the Fever went on to pull away for a 113-90 win.
ENES KANTER FREEDOM MET WITH HOSTILE WNBA FANS EN ROUTE TO FEVER-SKY MATCHUP
Tensions were already high before the ejection.
Before tipoff, Freedom was shouted at and flipped off by fans, and security had to guide him through a hostile crowd outside Wintrust Arena.
Freedom later talked to OutKick and spoke about what went down. He said he believed his shirt, which contained the definition of a woman, was what triggered Cloud.
"I was cheering for my friend Sophie because when she shot that three, I put my hands in the air," Freedom said. "A couple possessions later, she came back and said, ‘She’s not gonna sleep with you.’ And I was shocked. I was like, ‘Listen, I’m not trying to sleep with her. I think she’s awesome. She’s a good friend.’ But I think it has a lot to do with my shirt.
"I was obviously wearing a shirt explaining what a woman is, and I think that had a lot to do with what she thinks about women. I think it triggered her a lot."
And it's not just a Chicago problem.
Last month in Seattle, Storm co-owner Celeste Keaton confronted two teenage fans holding signs in support of Fever guard Sophie Cunningham and reportedly called them "f—ing insane."
The WNBA suspended Keaton from five home games and fined her over the incident.
SOPHIE CUNNINGHAM SEES SUPPORT SURGE AFTER STAR PUTS CAREER ON LINE FOR GIRLS SPORTS
Freedom’s ejection was the latest moment White is trying to wave away as "social media," even though the WNBA firestorm began when Cunningham said biological men do not belong in women’s sports and that young girls deserve protection.
At an Indiana Fever-Atlanta Dream game earlier this month, WNBA security told a mother and her teenage daughter to cover their pro-women’s-sports shirts or get tossed. The league later admitted it never should have happened.
THE WNBA HAS LIMITED OPTIONS AFTER TWO MEN DECLARED FOR THE DRAFT, AND THOSE OPTIONS AREN'T GREAT
Freedom then declared for the 2027 WNBA Draft, while former NBA player Royce White announced a similar bid . WNBA leadership has held meetings to address the issue but has not provided a clear public answer on transgender eligibility.
When Sky players Azura Stevens and Aicha Coulibaly were asked about Freedom’s ejection, Stevens said security had handled it.
"There was just a fan incident and the security handled it," Stevens said. "We’re going to just focus on the game."
Sky coach Tyler Marsh also backed Cloud, saying, "We all embrace her as someone who protects our team and protects people who need to be protected."
Meanwhile, Fever superstar Caitlin Clark said she did not see the confrontation.
Fever players said they had no interaction with Freedom during the game.
"To be honest, I didn't see it," Clark said. "We were talking about it the next play in our huddle, so I think that's probably a question for Chicago."
White can tell reporters to stop "giving it any gas," but the WNBA cannot dismiss this as social media when the dispute keeps producing confrontations, ejections and suspensions.
ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON'T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!
Requests for comment sent to the Chicago Sky and Wintrust Arena management were not immediately returned.
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