The WNBA offseason often serves as a great reminder that the players who are giving it their all night after night on the court have lives that they nurture and love off the court, too — just like the rest of us. Natasha Cloud recently became the first athlete to be interviewed as part of the New York Times' "Modern Love" column, and she offered a truly intimate look into everything she's thinking about and working through when she's not out on the floor hooping.
In many ways, the interview serves as the reminder that fans — and the league — need during this time, especially as the CBA deadline looms in the foreground, and it appears players and the league will move to a 30-day extension this week. While the CBA is top of mind for most involved parties, that's not all that is important.
Cloud opened up in a truly powerful way while speaking to the Times, and the wide-ranging interview is about everything from her relationship with fellow Liberty hooper Isabelle Harrison to what it was like growing up as the only Black member of her family. She also revealed that her mother had an affair that resulted in her birth, and praised her father (the man who raised her) for always being a consistent and strong presence, and for, presumably, demonstrating the power of forgiveness.
Cloud also opened up about how she has navigated challenges that have come with being biracial, and revealed that she didn't really realize she was any different from anyone else in her family until she was 11 or 12. "People really get tickled by this one when I tell them — I was like, 11, when I was like, Oh, I’m Blackity Black, because my dad actually tans. I’m not even playing — we would be the same color, and I’m like, Oh, I just keep it for the duration," she said.
She added: "That shows how innocent children truly are, and we teach them what they fully believe later in life, because I would have never known that I was any bit different because my family never treated me different."
In many ways, the interview is a refreshing peek into the life of someone that many WNBA fans have admired from a distance, but haven't had the opportunity to truly get to know and understand. As much as players have the right to privacy — a right that they should never feel compelled to give up just to satisfy interest — it's simultaneously refreshing to be offered such a deep dive.
As we head into what is almost certainly guaranteed to be a messy and emotional offseason, what with CBA negotiations that seem questionable, a free agency that could tear apart teams fans are emotionally invested in, and a WNBA Draft that will bring in a new group of players to decipher, understand, and root for, Cloud's interview is a reminder that there are real people making all of that happen. Professional athletes are there to play a game, but they are people, too — and it's important to always remember that.