Enes Kanter confirms what Natasha Cloud said about Sophie Cunningham before he was ejected
The former NBA center says a simple celebration sparked the courtside exchange that ended with his removal
Enes Kanter Freedom says one of the biggest controversies from Sunday’s Fever-Sky game began with something entirely ordinary: Sophie Cunningham making a 3-pointer.
Kanter , attending his first WNBA game from courtside at Wintrust Arena, claims he raised his hands to celebrate the Indiana Fever guard’s shot late in the third quarter.
Moments later, according to his account, Chicago Sky guard Natasha Cloud turned toward him and made a pointed remark involving Cunningham .
“Sophie Cunningham shot a three, and I put my hands up to celebrate,” Kanter said in an interview with Fox News. “Literally, a couple possessions later, Natasha came back and started screaming and yelling and said, ‘She’s not gonna sleep with you.’”
The exchange quickly escalated, with Kanter and Cloud trading words before security eventually escorted the former NBA center from the arena. Cloud has not publicly confirmed that she made the specific remark Kanter attributed to her.
Kanter tried to explain support for Cunningham
Kanter said he responded by telling Cloud that his reaction had nothing to do with any personal interest in Cunningham .
“I was like, ‘I am not trying to sleep with her. I’m just here to protect women and support her,’” Kanter said.
“And then, obviously, after that she started yapping, and she started to walk towards me,” Kanter added. “She started to use some very heavy language. She started to actually cuss, and I was very shocked.”
Kanter also criticized the language he says was used in front of younger fans.
“I cannot believe that she was just cussing and just using those F-bombs in front of all these kids,” he said.
The confrontation drew even more attention because of Kanter ’s increasingly public role in the debate over transgender participation in women’s sports.
He has repeatedly backed Cunningham ’s view that transgender women should not compete against biological women in women’s competition and has even declared himself eligible for the 2027 WNBA Draft as part of a satirical protest.
Natasha Cloud answers controversy
Cloud didn't directly respond to Kanter ’s version of the exchange afterward. Instead, she posted a message on Threads aimed at transgender people.
“To every trans kid/person, you are a part 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,” Cloud wrote.
That response underlined how far the incident had moved beyond basketball. Cunningham herself wasn't involved in the confrontation.
Her only connection to the moment was the shot Kanter says prompted him to celebrate, but her earlier comments on transgender participation have made her a recurring reference point in the broader debate surrounding the league.
The result was another game in which a basketball moment became secondary to a culture-war controversy that continues to follow the WNBA.
