Natasha Cloud’s 2025 offseason has been a very tumultuous one. Not only did she play in Unrivaled’s inaugural season, but she was also traded twice. First, Cloud was traded from the Phoenix Mercury to the Connecticut Sun in the Alyssa Thomas trade—a situation that made Cloud unhappy for several reasons. Then, the Sun traded her to the New York Liberty for the seventh pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft and a 2026 first-round pick.
The latter was a solid trade for all parties involved. The Sun get draft picks to help with their rebuild, Cloud gets to play for a contender, and the Liberty add another veteran to their championship roster.
With Sabrina Ionescu, Breanna Stewart, Jonquil Jones, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, Leonie Fiebich, and Nyara Sabally still on the roster, the Liberty retained most of their key players from last season and look ready to compete for another championship. They already had a strong roster, but Cloud still adds skills the Liberty need.
Cloud will provide playmaking and perimeter defense
Natasha Cloud is known across the WNBA as a great defender. Over her career, she has been named to three All-Defensive teams and can take on some of the toughest perimeter assignments. Cloud’s defensive talent should help her fit in well with the Liberty’s style of play.
The Liberty put together the third-best defensive rating in the league for two consecutive seasons, and that two-way ability was a big reason for their success. Trading for Cloud adds yet another good defender to a strong defensive team.
Adding another defensive-minded guard to the roster will also help Sabrina Ionescu. Surrounding her with great defenders allows her to focus on her offensive production.
Offensively, Cloud will provide important playmaking. Last season, Sabrina Ionescu and Courtney Vandersloot were the Liberty’s top playmakers. Vandersloot signed with the Chicago Sky in free agency, and someone needs to step in and provide playmaking next to Ionescu.
Cloud is the perfect player to do just that. She has averaged at least five assists per game in each of her last five seasons. In 2022, she even led the WNBA in assists. The Liberty rely a lot on moving the ball, averaging 22.8 assists per game last season, which ranked second in the league.
The Liberty already had a championship-level roster and gave up quite a lot for Cloud, but she is still a significant addition that will help the Liberty as they chase their second championship.