Rapinoe used her podcast to ridicule Freedom’s claim that he was at the Chicago Sky-Indiana Fever game to “protect women,” calling him a bad-faith actor targeting women’s sports.
3rd-quarter tensions at Wintrust Arena led to Freedom’s removal after Natasha Cloud celebrated a basket, exchanged words with him and security stepped in when he stood up and moved toward her.
Sky officials later said security and Chicago police deemed Freedom a threat, and he was not only escorted out but also barred from Wintrust Arena.
Freedom has said Cloud told him he was not going to sleep with Sophie Cunningham, and he responded that he was there only to support Cunningham and protect women.
Rapinoe cast the incident as part of a broader backlash against the WNBA’s rising popularity, arguing critics are now showing up in person rather than attacking women’s sports only online.