Throughout Choice Sunday, basketball followers acquired sudden WNBA information. The New York Liberty have acquired veteran guard Natasha Cloud from the Connecticut Solar.
The New York Liberty added the lacking piece to their defending championship aspirations Sunday night time. The Connecticut Solar has agreed to commerce veteran guard Natasha Cloud to the New York Liberty in trade for the 2025 No. 7 choose and a future 2026 first-round choose.
As a lot as Cloud is trying ahead to creating the transfer to Brooklyn, the Liberty are simply as ecstatic.
“We couldn’t be extra excited to welcome Natasha Cloud to the New York Liberty household,” mentioned Jonathan Kolb, Normal Supervisor, New York Liberty. “Tash is somebody who we recognized years in the past as a major match for our crew and embodies every little thing we search for in a participant.”
Cloud’s stick with the Phoenix Mercury was short-lived, to say the least. After recruiting free brokers to Phoenix within the offseason, she was traded to Connecticut as a part of the Alyssa Thomas commerce. Vocal all alongside, Cloud expressed the significance of communication within the work place.
Natasha Cloud’s Highly effective Voice In The WNBA
Think about discovering out you had been being traded by textual content pic.twitter.com/TFCHl3hsMk
— The OGs Present (@theOGsShow) March 15, 2025
A visitor on Udonis Haslem’s and Mike Miller’s OGs Podcast, Cloud, was admittedly blindsided by the commerce to Connecticut. She spent most of her time at Unmatched recruiting free brokers to the valley. At 33 years previous, the Mercury determined to ship her to a rebuilding franchise.
Whereas she understands the WNBA is a enterprise, Cloud came upon in regards to the information by an assistant coach. She expressed the will to decide on her subsequent location at this stint in her profession.
With Connecticut granting her needs, Cloud will get a reboot with the reigning WNBA champions, and already took her emotions to social media.
“I am so excited to be a part of this group”, mentioned Cloud on X. “Ya’ll is fingers down one of many fiercest fan bases. You understand what you are getting in me. You are getting a canine, I am gonna offer you every little thing I acquired each single night time.”
Cloud, 33, signed with the Phoenix Mercury final low season after spending the primary eight seasons with the Washington Mystics. Drafted 15 general by the Mystics within the 2015 WNBA Draft, Cloud was a vital piece of their 2019 WNBA Championship crew.
Satirically, Cloud and the Mystics went on to defeat the Connecticut Solar that 12 months within the finals. Averaging 14.4 factors within the finals, Cloud averaged 4.0 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and had three steals in sport one alone.
Did Sabrina Ionescu Recruit Cloud As Teammates Although Unmatched?
☁️☁️☁️@T_Cloud4 🤝 @sabrina_i20 pic.twitter.com/P0U433ndi4
— New York Liberty (@nyliberty) March 17, 2025
The transfer is not too shocking since Cloud was teammates with Sabrina Ionescu on Staff Phantom throughout Unmatched’s inaugural season. Though Phantom didn’t make the playoffs, Cloud tied for second with Skylar Diggins-Smith for essentially the most assists within the league (4.77 APG). The Phantom’s help chief, the Pennsylvania native averaged 9.7 factors, 4.9 rebounds, and 4.7 assists.
Cloud joins the Liberty because the third ranked help chief within the WNBA final season. Now that Ionescu has a brand new backcourt associate, the 2 ranked prime 5 in assists final 12 months. New York has now gone from shedding Vandersloot, to constructing a formidable backcourt.
Cloud Brings A lot Wanted Championship Expertise To New York
By 38 video games with the Mercury, Cloud averaged a career-high 4.1 rebounds, 11.5 factors, 6.9 assists, and 1.4 steals. With a profession common of 8.6 factors, 5.3 assists, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.0 steals, Cloud brings a wide range of belongings to Brooklyn. Showing in seven postseasons, Cloud is every little thing New York stands for and extra.
Natasha Cloud Is Every thing That New York Stands For
DON’T WANT NO PUPPY WE WANT A BIG DAWG 🐶
YERRRRRRR 🗣️ @T_Cloud4 pic.twitter.com/uZTpZkjQze
— New York Liberty (@nyliberty) March 17, 2025
Grit, ardour, power, Cloud is the lacking piece New York wanted so as to add within the off season. Whereas the tremendous crew narrative has vastly disappeared, the expertise is shifting amongst groups. The top aim is to win consecutive championships, and Cloud brings a lot wanted depth and flexibility to the backcourt.
There isn’t any query it stung when the Golden State Valkyries chosen former Liberty favourite Kayla Thornton within the enlargement draft. Shortly after, Courtney Vandersloot returned to Chicago after serving to New York win it is first WNBA Championship. The acquisition of Cloud fills an enormous void.
Probably the most underrated two-way gamers within the WNBA, “Agent 0” fills a defensive hole, whereas including a lot wanted playmaking. Cloud is at present the favourite to win the 2025 WNBA Defensive Participant of the 12 months on FanDuel. We’re speaking a couple of former beforehand named WNBA All-Defensive Staff and 2-time WNBA All-Defensive crew.
No.3 in Defensive ranking, the Liberty had been among the many most elite defensive groups over the past two seasons. Boasting the most effective internet ranking within the WNBA (11.7), protection was a monumental cause why the Liberty defeated the Lynx 67-62 to win their first ever championship.
Giving up two first-round might seem to be a ton of belongings. Nonetheless, it provides Connecticut the picks it wants to totally rebuild. Now proudly owning the No. 7 and No. 8 general picks on this 12 months’s draft, the Solar may goal prospects reminiscent of Aneesah Morrow, Azzi Fudd, or Te-Hina PaoPao.
Protection, Protection, Protection!
Conversely, the Liberty will push for one more championship. Whereas then rookie Leonie Fiebich changed Courtney Vandersloot within the beginning lineup, it is unclear what head coach Sandy Brondello’s beginning 5 will appear to be.
Assuming Cloud joins the beginning lineup, it will embrace a beginning 5 of all champions. Cloud’s veteran expertise will already add to this properly polished roster.
With the addition of Natasha Cloud, this Liberty crew is harmful. It already consists of Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, Jonquel Jones, Fiebich, and Nyara Sabally. New York is stacked on either side of the ball, prime to backside.
To not point out New York signed veteran ahead Isabelle Harrison final month. The Liberty have a ton of size, particularly with Jones, Stewart, and Fiebich. Are you able to think about a world the place Cloud and Betnijah Laney-Hamilton share the courtroom collectively? Speak about two defensive juggernauts.
After a historic WNBA free-agency, the Mercury, Aces, Sparks, and Storm all bolstered their rosters. With the most recent transfer, the Liberty are the slight favorites over Vegas to win the 2025 WNBA Championship on DraftKings.
Natasha Cloud’s Appreciation for The Liberty Loyal
In 2023, Natasha Cloud counseled the Barclays Middle crowd after Recreation 2 of the WNBA playoffs…
In 2025, Tash will really feel the love as a member of Seafoam SZN. #WNBATwitter 🗽🏀 pic.twitter.com/NNKA0aL6XP
— Alford Corriette (@alfcorriette) March 17, 2025
Natasha Cloud does have some familiarity with the Liberty, or not less than the Barclays as least. Within the 2023 playoffs, Cloud performed her last-ever sport with the Mystics after a first-round shut out towards New York. Giving every little thing she had, Cloud grew to become the primary participant in Mystics franchise to document 30+ factors, 5 assists, and 5 rebounds in a single sport.
Emotional after the career-night, Cloud had excessive reward for Liberty followers, even after a bodily, turbulent exit. From the villain to the most recent seafoam member, the Philly native has at all times spoken extremely of the fanbase.
“That is what acquired me upset on the market was simply feeling all of the love out of your followers”, Cloud mentioned this after the 2023 first-round loss to the Liberty. “I actually respect that Liberty followers. It was an ideal setting to play in.”
“That is issues that we dreamed of for the reason that occasions we had been youngsters. To really feel that love coming off the courtroom—I actually did go away every little thing that I may on the ground. New York is similar to Philly. We love arduous employees. We love gritty ass gamers. I actually did respect it, so thank ya’ll.”
Cloud’s not flawed. I’ve had the possibility to observe and canopy the Liberty for a number of years now. From the Westchester to the MSG days, their followers rock till the tip. That was evident in each single sport, the finals, and the championship parade. This group is constructed on energetic and die-heard followers. They reside for gamers reminiscent of Cloud.
From Philadelphia to New York, Natasha Cloud has the abilities and grit to bolster the New York Liberty’s possibilities of defending their title. In the long run, Cloud acquired what’s finest for her, which is what she’s deserved all alongside.
“New York ain’t for everyone” was the Liberty slogan final season. There isn’t any doubt in my thoughts, Natasha Cloud will match like a glove in Brooklyn.
With the WNBA season shortly approaching, the New York Liberty will open the pre-season at Connecticut on Might 9. Seeking to turn out to be the fourth WNBA crew to repeat, the Liberty will open the 2025 season vs the Las Vegas Aces on the Barclays Middle.
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Sara Jane Gamelli is a full-time Sportswriter, Content material Creator, and Supervisor for Ballislife Bets. She has a give attention to Girls’s Basketball and the NBA. Sara Jane at present resides within the Connecticut/NYC space together with her Cat and Canine. SJ has her undergraduate diploma in Economics from the College of Connecticut.
