WNBA star has mid-game meltdown at former NBA player wearing pro-women shirt: 'I think it triggered her'
The controversy started early for former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom on Sunday night.By the time the 6'10" giant arrived at Wintrust Arena in Chicago to watch a WNBA game, he was already being heckled by fans.'I'm just here to protect women.'Fans yelled at the former NBA center, even giving him the middle finger as he arrived at the Chicago Sky vs. Indiana Fever game with a police escort. Attendees took issue with Kanter's pro-women T-shirt stating that the word "woman" is a "noun" that means "adult human female."Freedom recently declared himself eligible for next season's WNBA draft, mocking the league's refusal to define what a woman is.The former NBA player told Fox News he had no intention of causing any issues or disruptions at the WNBA game, saying he texted the Chicago GM beforehand and received the simple reply, "Enjoy the game."The first half went without incident, as Freedom posted a joking image deciding which restroom he should use at halftime. However, as the third quarter came to a close, all hell broke loose when Sky player Natasha Cloud began screaming at Freedom as he sat courtside."Sophie Cunningham shot a three, and I put my hands up to celebrate," Freedom told Fox News. "Literally, a couple possessions later, Natasha came back and started screaming and yelling and said, 'She's not gonna sleep with you.'"Freedom went on, "I was like, 'I am not trying to sleep with her. I'm just here to protect women and support her.' And then, obviously, after that she started yapping, and she started to walk towards me, and literally I just got up, and then I was like, 'I'm just here to protect women, and that's all.'"RELATED: Sophie Cunningham gets relentlessly booed in Canada — and shuts the haters down in the classiest way possible The former NBA player stood up to reveal his shirt, showcasing the massive size difference between him and the WNBA players. Cloud is a full foot shorter than the Swiss-born man.Freedom added that Cloud used a lot of "heavy language," including swear words, which he said surprised him due to the number of children present."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," Freedom claimed.Immediately following the interaction, security approached Freedom and started escorting him out of the arena. As taunts and jeers were directed at him, Freedom egged the crowd on while showing off the message on his shirt.Cloud did not offer remarks on the incident and was not available to members of the press after the game. She did, however, post a message to Threads, vowing to protect trans-identifying people."To every trans kid/person, You are apart of MY community & tribe," she wrote. "You belong. You're loved. You're seen. You're perfect as you are. & you will always be protected by me."Sophie Cunningham and the Fever trounced Cloud and the rest of the Chicago Sky, 113 to 90.RELATED: Sophie Cunningham supporters speak out: WNBA is just passing the blame Blaze News reached out to the Sky for comment.Although the league's collective-bargaining agreement says that "only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA," the league has refused to clarify its stance on whether males who identify as women would be allowed in the league.The WNBA recently met to discuss the issue, however, the result of its meeting was that there were "no immediate eligibility matters affecting the WNBA."Freedom says if the league doesn't clarify its rule, he is willing to step on the court next season."If they don't come up with a rule, then I am ready and prepared to play in May and just get ready for the draft in April," Freedom told Fox News. "These are the rules. People are mad at me. I'm confused why people are mad at me. These are the rules that literally they put, so I'm just literally following their rules."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!