Natasha Cloud's voice carries, even in New York

Washington Post

4 hours ago

NEW YORK — Natasha Cloud couldn't stop smiling when she saw her new locker was adjacent to Breanna Stewart's. The newest member of the New York Liberty instantly decided she would tell everyone that Stewart, the two-time WNBA MVP, requested the arrangement.
Little did Stewart know, Cloud would be picking through her locker henceforth. Welcome to the 'Cloud 9' experience.
With a massive social media following, the point guard created a running online bit showing off Stewart's designer bags in a series called, 'What bag did Stewie bring today?'
Bottega Veneta. Gucci. Puma (with apologies from Cloud as a Nike athlete). Christian Dior.
After winning four championships at the University of Connecticut, Stewart has been one of the biggest household names in women's basketball, but Cloud has brought out even more of her personality. The same goes for Olympic gold medalist and three-time all-star Sabrina Ionescu, who recently popped up online twerking in a handstand with Cloud holding her ankles.
'Her influence has just been energetic,' Stewart said. 'You know the way she is. You see her running around on the court and off the court. … Just constantly talking and communicating and bringing that good vibe.'
Cloud arrived in New York with her trademark bluster, and the Liberty (10-2) is off to a memorable start. The defending champion set a franchise record with nine straight wins to begin the season, and Cloud is in the mix to be named an all-star for the first time. The former Washington Mystics standout's imprint is already all over the organization.
This was a roster with plenty of personality, but Cloud seems to pull even more out of everyone. For someone with a very vocal leadership style, joining a veteran team can require a delicate balance. Cloud moved to New York a month before training camp and wanted to get to know as many people as possible, including administration and support staff. General Manager Jonathan Kolb said that made an instant impression that showed her commitment to the organization as a whole.
'My biggest goal of coming into this organization was to deposit, deposit, deposit, deposit, deposit and then figure out where I fit in,' Cloud said. 'And that worked for me because I think it gave the Stewies, the Sabs [Ionescu], the JJs [Jonquel Jones] the respect that they deserve. But then it also allowed them to know, like, okay, I'm also here, too, and I need to fit in some way, shape or form.'
The smiles are ever-present now, but there was a rough month and a half starting in February when the Phoenix Mercury included Cloud in a trade that brought five-time all-star Alyssa Thomas to the desert from the Connecticut Sun. Cloud had signed as a free agent only a year earlier, believing Phoenix would be a long-term home. She said the organization told her she was going to retire there, but Cloud found out about the trade on social media. She said navigating the situation was 'scary' and 'brutal.'
'This is a part of the business, but there are things on the human-aspect side of — you need to have the balls to talk to your players,' Cloud said.
Kolb had tried to acquire Cloud in the past, and now, at 33 and looking to get back to the Finals, she wanted out of Connecticut. She has repeatedly mentioned that Kolb 'saved' her when he acquired her for draft picks in March.
'I feel accepted and loved and appreciated for just who I am,' she said, 'whether it's the hyper-crackhead energy or it's the dog that gets into people or it's just like the chill Tash, I just feel accepted on every level, and that really just brings an all-around peace to me.'
The impact on the court has been immediate. Cloud scored a season-high 22 points in her debut to go with nine assists, six rebounds, three steals and two blocks in a 14-point win over the Las Vegas Aces. She followed that with 18 points, eight assists and four rebounds in a 25-point win over the Chicago Sky. Then she had a game-sealing steal off Caitlin Clark in a two-point win over the Indiana Fever. All of that led to her being named Eastern Conference player of the week, the first such honor of her 10-year career.
Her plus-minus was plus-140 through the first seven games, a league record to start a season. Cloud's assist-to-turnover ratio (3.62) and steal percentage (2.86) are both the highest of her career.
'Natasha Cloud might be the best acquisition this offseason,' Ion Television analyst Meghan McKeown said. 'It's worked with Cloud because of her communication, her defense and the swagger that she just brings to the floor. She's the type of player you want on your team. You hate playing against her, but you want her on your squad.'
Atlanta Dream guard and former Mystics teammate Shatori Walker-Kimbrough added, 'She just gives them a different type of grit, and her energy, especially defensively, is contagious.'
Cloud fits so well with the Liberty because she's able to be her best self. The three-time all-league defender is often asked to check the other team's best perimeter player while providing significant help to others. Help defense is required from every player, but Cloud can focus more on her individual assignment because she is surrounded by other long and capable defenders.
The Liberty has the No. 1 defensive rating (93.5) in the league and ranks second in opponent scoring (76.3 points per game). Offensively, Cloud is the fourth option behind Stewart, Ionescu and Jones, meaning she doesn't have to carry a significant load and often sees wide-open driving lanes because teams are hesitant to help off that trio. Cloud's 6.3 assists per game rank third in the league, and she is ninth in assists in league history.
Not everything has gone perfectly. Coach Sandy Brondello sat Cloud for seldom-used guard Jaylyn Sherrod during a 86-81 comeback win over the Dream on Tuesday, saying afterward that Cloud wasn't 'getting into the game offensively or impacting defensively like she normally would.' Still, Cloud's three-point play with 3:56 left in the fourth quarter tied the game at 76 and started a 10-5 run that pushed the Liberty to victory.
'She's come into a team that has just won a championship and taken a lead point guard position as a veteran player and having to just figure it out on the fly,' Ionescu said. 'She's just kind of been thrown in the fire.'
Kolb added, 'She's kind of that piece that you plug in and she amplifies what we already have.'
Cloud always has been adamant about being an activist for social justice everywhere she has gone. She was involved in gun-violence awareness and active in Ward 8 when she lived in Washington. New York, Cloud said, is the most liberal city she has lived in, and she wants to take advantage of that. Already, she has connected with the Girls for Gender Equity organization, which works with Black girls and gender-expansive young people of color.
'I'm in a city that approaches activism the same very blunt way that I do,' Cloud said. 'Humanity is black-and-white for me. There will be no debates, discussions between friends, family, co-workers about human rights and human decency and human morality. So to be in a city that is being really affected right now by some of this administration's decisions, I just want to make sure that I'm utilizing this platform still.'
Cloud's face is plastered all around Barclays Center, and her presence is certainly felt inside. The sound of her booming voice echoed off the walls during a recent practice, nonstop chatter growing louder from the sideline, counting down the shot clock for the second unit.
Then there's the tie-dyed orange T-shirt, sleeves removed and cut into a crop top. The lettering across the front reads 'Wear Orange' to bring awareness to gun violence.
For years, Cloud has worn that shirt and been the loudest voice in the gym. All of that has now has found a home in Brooklyn.
Between the city, the team, the players, Cloud seems more content than ever. The Phoenix stop didn't work out, but she acknowledged sometimes people need a difficult situation to learn and grow.
All of that has been in the past from the moment she stepped out of a black SUV in front of Barclays Center, with the giant digital marquee reading: 'Natasha Cloud Welcome To Brooklyn.'
'I think she's as advertised and more,' Kolb said.