Natasha Cloud sparkling Liberty start earns her Eastern Conference Player of the Week
We've got you covered on the Liberty beat
Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Madeline Kenney about all things Liberty and WNBA. tRY IT NOW
A championship team needs a sparkling addition to provide a different feel when chasing a repeat title.
Anyone can see and hear 10-year veteran and tenacious defender Natasha Cloud — the Liberty's answer.
Advertisement
Cloud has had an immediate impact on the Liberty offense, which led to her first career Eastern Conference Player of the Week honor on Wednesday after averaging 18.7 points, 7.7 assists, 5.7 rebounds, 2.7 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game over the first three games.
That is the best start of her career and it speaks to how well the Liberty offense operates with the 33-year-old in it.
A skilled facilitator, Cloud's passing has had a big impact on the Liberty, averaging 8.3 assists per game for an assist percentage of 41.8 across four games.
Advertisement
Natasha Cloud shoots a jumper during the first half the Liberty's blowout win over the Valkyries on May 27, 2025.
Heather Khalifa for the NY Post
The 8.3 assists per game surpasses her previous career high of seven assists per game in 2022.
Cloud is also on track to chase down her 44.8 assist percentage, also achieved in 2022, while playing with the Mystics.
'She just needed to come to New York, that's all,' Jonquel Jones said in the Liberty's Player of the Week announcement video.
Advertisement
In the Liberty's convincing 95-67 win over the Valkyries on Tuesday, Cloud recorded 10 assists — five of which went to Breanna Stewart, who she often found down low or up by the charity stripe for a right elbow jumper.
Breanna Stewart and Natasha Cloud of the New York Liberty smile after the Liberty's blowout win over the Valkyries.
NBAE via Getty Images
The performance gave her the No. 10 overall ranking on the WNBA's all-time career assists list with 1,555.
'I wouldn't say we have gotten that much practice time together,' Stewart said of Cloud after Tuesday's victory. 'I think our chemistry can only grow, but she has a great awareness of where people are. Especially Golden State, they're in a zone a lot. So, to break the zone, you want to get the ball to the middle. Sometimes I'm sealing off a guard most of the time and Tash was able to lead me to where I wanted the ball.'
Advertisement
Cloud leads the Liberty in assists to help their 25.3 assist average that is just 0.2 behind the league-leading Lynx in that category.
The Liberty are off to a 4-0 start, tying their third-best undefeated start in franchise history from 2024.
In 1997, the Liberty started the season by going 7-0. In 2007, they went on a 5-0 opening run.
A soft schedule over the next five games gives the Liberty a shot to break the franchise record.
On Thursday, they will face the Valkyries again and their upcoming matchups include the Sun, Sky and two meetings with the Mystics until their second meeting with the Fever on June 14.
Advertisement
Nyara Sabally (right knee) is listed as questionable for Thursday.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Top Lynx vs. Mercury players to watch - 6/3/2025
Top Lynx vs. Mercury players to watch - 6/3/2025 The Minnesota Lynx (7-0) host Alyssa Thomas and the Phoenix Mercury (5-2) at Target Center on Tuesday, June 3. The game tips off at 8 p.m. ET. The Lynx have a +58 scoring differential, topping opponents by 8.3 points per game. They're putting up 84.4 points per game to rank fifth in the league and are giving up 76.1 per outing to rank third in the WNBA. The Mercury are outscoring opponents by 4.4 points per game, with a +31 scoring differential overall. They put up 79.7 points per game (ninth in WNBA) and give up 75.3 per contest (second in league). Watch this game on Fubo! (regional restrictions may apply) How to watch Lynx vs. Mercury Date: Tuesday, June 3, 2025 Tuesday, June 3, 2025 Time: 8 p.m. ET 8 p.m. ET How to watch on TV: ESPN3, FDSN, and AZFamily ESPN3, FDSN, and AZFamily Live stream: Fubo (regional restrictions may apply) Fubo Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota Minneapolis, Minnesota Venue: Target Center Lynx's last game Last time out, Minnesota picked up an 86-75 victory versus Golden State. The Lynx were led by Napheesa Collier, who wound up with 24 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and two steals, while Courtney Williams added 20 points, five assists and two steals. Napheesa Collier: 24 PTS | 11 REB |4 AST | 2 STL | 1 BLK | 2 3PM Courtney Williams: 20 PTS | 5 REB |5 AST | 2 STL | 0 BLK | 3 3PM Kayla McBride: 16 PTS | 6 REB |3 AST | 1 STL | 0 BLK | 2 3PM Mercury's last game With Satou Sabally leading the team with 24 points, nine rebounds and four steals, Phoenix ended up winning against Los Angeles 85-80 in its last game. Satou Sabally: 24 PTS | 9 REB |2 AST | 4 STL | 0 BLK | 2 3PM Kathryn Westbeld: 15 PTS | 3 REB |2 AST | 1 STL | 2 BLK | 3 3PM Kitija Laksa: 15 PTS | 2 REB |1 AST | 1 STL | 0 BLK | 2 3PM Lynx players to watch Collier paces her squad in points per game (26.3), and also puts up 8.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists. At the other end, she posts 2.3 steals (second in the WNBA) and 1.3 blocked shots (fifth in the league). Williams puts up a team-high 6.4 assists per game. She is also putting up 15.0 points and 5.1 rebounds, shooting 38.7% from the field and 33.3% from beyond the arc with 1.6 made 3-pointers per contest. Alanna Smith posts 11.3 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists per contest. At the other end, she delivers 1.2 steals and 2.0 blocked shots (second in WNBA). Jessica Shepard paces the Lynx at 7.4 rebounds per game, while also putting up 2.4 assists and 8.1 points. Bridget Carleton is averaging 6.4 points, 2.3 assists and 4.4 rebounds per game. Mercury players to watch Sabally is the Mercury's top scorer (21.3 points per game, sixth in WNBA) and rebounder (8.1, 10th in WNBA), and produces 2.4 assists. Thomas paces the Mercury in assists (8.0 per game), and produces 15.2 points and 7.6 rebounds. She also posts 1.8 steals and 0.8 blocked shots. Kathryn Westbeld gets the Mercury 7.9 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. She also puts up 1.0 steal and 1.3 blocked shots (fifth in league). The Mercury get 9.7 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game from Monique Akoa-Makani. Sami Whitcomb gets the Mercury 7.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. She also delivers 1.1 steals and 0.3 blocked shots. Watch this game on Fubo! (regional restrictions may apply)
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
How to watch Lynx vs. Mercury on TV or live stream - 6/3/2025
How to watch Lynx vs. Mercury on TV or live stream - 6/3/2025 The Minnesota Lynx (7-0) will host the Phoenix Mercury (5-2) after winning three home games in a row. The contest starts at 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday, June 3, 2025. See more details below, including how to watch this matchup on ESPN3, FDSN, and AZFamily. Watch this game on Fubo! (regional restrictions may apply) How to watch Lynx vs. Mercury Date: Tuesday, June 3, 2025 Tuesday, June 3, 2025 Time: 8 p.m. ET 8 p.m. ET Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota Minneapolis, Minnesota Venue: Target Center Target Center TV channel: ESPN3, FDSN, and AZFamily ESPN3, FDSN, and AZFamily Live stream: Fubo (regional restrictions may apply) Lynx players to watch Napheesa Collier leads her team in points per contest (26.3), and also posts 8.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists. At the other end, she averages 2.3 steals (second in the WNBA) and 1.3 blocked shots (fifth in the WNBA). Courtney Williams posts a team-leading 6.4 assists per game. She is also posting 15.0 points and 5.1 rebounds, shooting 38.7% from the field and 33.3% from beyond the arc with 1.6 made 3-pointers per contest. Alanna Smith puts up 11.3 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. Defensively, she delivers 1.2 steals and 2.0 blocked shots (second in league). Jessica Shepard leads her squad in rebounds per contest (7.4), and also puts up 8.1 points and 2.4 assists. Defensively, she delivers 0.3 steals and 0.1 blocked shots. Bridget Carleton posts 6.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game, shooting 32.1% from the floor and 20.6% from downtown with 1.0 made 3-pointers per game. Mercury players to watch Satou Sabally tops the Mercury in scoring (21.3 points per game) and rebounding (8.1), and produces 2.4 assists. She also delivers 2.1 steals (fifth in the WNBA) and 0.7 blocked shots. Alyssa Thomas is posting a team-high 8.0 assists per contest. And she is contributing 15.2 points and 7.6 rebounds, making 50.8% of her shots from the floor (eighth in WNBA). The Mercury get 7.9 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game from Kathryn Westbeld. The Mercury get 9.7 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game from Monique Akoa-Makani. Sami Whitcomb is averaging 7.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game, making 32.1% of her shots from the field and 25.6% from beyond the arc, with 1.4 triples per contest. Lynx vs. Mercury stat comparison The Lynx score 84.4 points per game, 9.1 more points than the 75.3 the Mercury give up. The Mercury put up only 3.6 more points per game (79.7) than the Lynx give up (76.1). The Lynx and Mercury rebound at about the same rate, with the Lynx averaging 0.4 more rebounds per game. The Lynx make 45.1% of their shots from the field this season, which is 5.5 percentage points higher than the Mercury have allowed to their opponents (39.6%). Watch this game on Fubo! (regional restrictions may apply)
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
WNBA Sends Message on Superstar's 48-Point Win on Sunday
WNBA Sends Message on Superstar's 48-Point Win on Sunday originally appeared on Athlon Sports. On Sunday, the New York Liberty made history when they faced the Connecticut Sun and had a 100-52 victory. The Liberty, led by superstar Sabrina Ionescu, facilitated a 48-point deficit for the Sun to remain undefeated to start the 2025 WNBA season. New York is 7-0 this season and is one of only two teams that have gone undefeated so far. The other team is the Minnesota Lynx, with a 6-0 record. Advertisement The entire Liberty was on fire against the Sun. Ionescu led the team with her 18 points, five assists and two steals on 4-for-6 shooting from downtown. The three-time All-Star was the only player to score at least 15 points for the New York team. Connecticut Sun guard Saniya Rivers tries to get past New York Liberty guard Sabrina Jones-Imagn Images Because of Ionescu's performance against Connecticut, the league recognized her and posted a message for the star player. "Sabrina Ionescu was firing on all cylinders in the Liberty's 48-PT win over the Sun," the league posted. Ionescu helped the team with their first 19 points of the game with her scoring and passing. Following the contest, she explained that the team tends to focus on getting everyone involved. Advertisement "We didn't have any idea, because that's how we practice. There's no one-on-one, no hero ball, just understanding of searching for our best shot... It was fun out there, just getting everyone going and feeling good," the Liberty star said through Nekias Duncan. The Sun, however, couldn't capitalize on getting their first win of the season. Last week, Connecticut had an 85-83 victory against the Indiana Fever. The Fever didn't have their best player, Caitlin Clark, as she dealt with a quad injury. Marina Mabrey and her team will have time to prepare until they play the defending champions. Their next game against each other is on August 1. Related: Sabrina Ionescu Comments on Energized Reaction After a Successful Challenge vs. Sun This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 2, 2025, where it first appeared.
