Latest news with #NatashaCloud
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16 hours ago
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Natasha Cloud surpasses WNBA legend despite loss to Fever
The post Natasha Cloud surpasses WNBA legend despite loss to Fever appeared first on ClutchPoints. The New York Liberty are no longer the only team in the WNBA undefeated following their 102-88 loss to the Indiana Fever. Buried by an avalanche of three-point shots amid Caitlin Clark's return, the Liberty dropped to 9-1 on the season. Despite the loss, it was a big night for Liberty guard Natasha Cloud who managed to climb the WNBA record books with history, surpassing a legend in the process. Advertisement During the Liberty's loss to the Fever, Natasha Cloud finished with a team-high five assists, which was good enough to pass WNBA legend Cappie Pondexter in the history books for ninth on the league's all-time assists list. Cloud is one of three active WNBA players, including Chelsea Gray and Courtney Vandersloot, on the all-time assists list. The loss against the Fever notwithstanding, the Liberty are still among the absolute elite teams in the league, and arguably the favorite to repeat as WNBA champions. A big reason for that has been the addition of Cloud. The Liberty had two major losses in the backcourt coming into this season with Courtney Vandersloot signing with the Chicago Sky, and Betnijah Laney-Hamilton ruled out for the season due to injury. Cloud's addition to the Liberty has helped offset those losses. She was originally acquired by the Liberty in a trade with the Connecticut Sun. Coming into the Fever game, Cloud had appeared in nine games for the Liberty at a little over 26 minutes per game. She's been averaging 9.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 1.9 steals with splits of 43.5 percent shooting from the field, 33.3 percent shooting from the three-point line and 92.9 percent shooting from the free-throw line. The No. 15 overall pick in the 2015 WNBA Draft by the Washington Mystics, Cloud played the first eight seasons of her career with the Mystics. Last season she played for the Mercury after signing as a free agent. She was instrumental in the Mystics' 2019 championship run. Related: The difficult lessons the Liberty received from 1st loss of season Related: Sabrina Ionescu gets 100% real on Caitlin Clark's big performance
Yahoo
16 hours ago
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Natasha Cloud, Brittney Griner joyfully reunite before Liberty-Dream clash
The post Natasha Cloud, Brittney Griner joyfully reunite before Liberty-Dream clash appeared first on ClutchPoints. The New York Liberty and Atlanta Dream both have serious ambitions this season, and earning a win in Tuesday's showdown should bring them a little closer to fulfilling them. On this night, the defending champions reigned supreme, pulling out an 86-81 home victory. Advertisement But before charging into battle in the Barclays Center, two ex-teammates gleefully reconnected on the court. Liberty guard Natasha Cloud leaped up to hug Dream center Brittney Griner, via Atlanta's official X account. Although the two former champions played only one season together on the Phoenix Mercury, they clearly formed a special bond. Griner and Cloud are each hoping for a better conclusion to the WNBA campaign, following a first-round playoffs exit at the hands of the Minnesota Lynx last year. The former is a Mercury legend who helped the franchise win a championship in 2014, but she felt it was time to move on after a decade-plus in The Desert. Cloud is also enjoying her new environment, serving a key role on a Liberty squad that currently owns the second-best record in the league. Coincidentally, both talents recently achieved huge milestones. Griner passed WNBA trailblazer Lisa Leslie for the second-most blocks ever, and Cloud jumped into ninth on the all-time assists list. They are putting those exquisite individual skills to good use on their new squads. Griner is averaging 1.4 rejections with the Dream, while Cloud posts 6.1 assists per contest. Advertisement Neither player is producing a ton of offense at this point of their respective careers, which was also the case in this latest matchup, but they can bring invaluable defensive intensity. Based on where New York (10-1) and Atlanta (8-4) currently sit in the WNBA hierarchy, these additions are already paying dividends. Though, Phoenix is doing just fine in its own right. The revamped Mercury are 8-4, now tied with the Dream for fourth place. Despite weathering significant offseason departures, the squad is in prime playoff position. It will be interesting to see where these three franchises wind up when it is all said and done. Related: Liberty get major Jonquel Jones injury update for Dream clash Related: Natasha Cloud surpasses WNBA legend despite loss to Fever
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16 hours ago
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Liberty HC Sandy Brondello offers Jonquel Jones injury update
The post Liberty HC Sandy Brondello offers Jonquel Jones injury update appeared first on ClutchPoints. New York Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello gave an update on Jonquel Jones' injury. The star center had to exit the game against the Washington Mystics in the first quarter with an apparent ankle injury. New York won the game 86-78 to continue its perfect season and go 2-0 in the Commissioner Cup. The Liberty won their first championship in 2024 and look potentially even better in 2025, with a familiar cast in addition to the newest point guard, Natasha Cloud. Advertisement But this group looks even more dangerous and versatile on both ends. Jones has additionally continued her momentum from winning Finals MVP for the first team in her career, but all eyes are now on how long this health setback will keep her out. Brondello provided an immediate update in the postgame of the win over the Mystics. 'She tried to come back at halftime, but still had a little bit of pain. I don't know if she's had any x-rays on that [yet], so we don't know if it'll keep her out.' The Liberty are now 8-0, which is the best start in franchise history. To stand alone above all WNBA teams, New York would have to win six more games to surpass the 2016 Minnesota Lynx. Fittingly, the Lynx are also on a quest for that record, having gotten off to an 8-0 start themselves. Minnesota and New York met in an epic five-game WNBA Finals the previous year, and both teams have looked a tier above the rest so far. Should they not meet in the Commissioner Cup, the league's top two teams will not clash until late July. Based on how Jones played against the Lynx last season, she will be just as critical against them in a potential playoff rematch. But we're a far way from that part of the year. The Liberty can only focus on improving as a team over the next few months and staying healthy. And there is no need to rush Jones back into action if there's a long-term health risk. There's plenty of talent on this roster to tread water for now and get back on schedule when the five-time All-Star returns. The Liberty have to look at the bigger picture when evaluating this injury, and based on recent history, they most certainly will. Related: Historic start puts Liberty on WNBA Finals rematch path Related: Breanna Stewart is doing something the former MVP has never done before
Yahoo
3 days ago
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Brittney Griner's Pregame Exchange With Former WNBA Teammate Catches Attention
Brittney Griner's Pregame Exchange With Former WNBA Teammate Catches Attention originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Somewhat quietly, the Atlanta Dream are becoming one of the best teams in the WNBA this season. They took an 8-3 mark into Brooklyn and faced the defending champion New York Liberty on Tuesday, looking for a statement win. Advertisement Although Dream star center Brittney Griner didn't play well in Tuesday's game, she has been contributing to the team's success. Tuesday marked a reunion of sorts for her, as she got to exchange a moment with a former teammate. She was seen embracing Liberty guard Natasha Cloud, who played with her last season when both were members of the Phoenix Mercury. Fan reacted on X to the touching moment. "this means a lot to me. 😭," one fan wrote. "Stoppp I love them 🥹," another fan gushed. "Sobbing I miss them," another user wrote. "2024 phx mercury will always be famous to ME" "Every time I see BG somebody climbing her 😂," a fourth user chimed in. Advertisement "this is so freaking cute," a fifth user wrote. "@PhoenixMercury How could you take this away from meeee? 😭," another user added. Cloud isn't a legitimate offensive threat, but she has been known for years as a strong defender. She has been named to one of the WNBA's All-Defensive teams three times, and in 2022, she got some votes in the balloting for the Defensive Player of the Year award. A few weeks ago, she made an outstanding defensive play on Caitlin Clark. With Clark's Indiana Fever trailing by two points in the final seconds, Cloud prevented her from getting off a potential game-winning 3-pointer to preserve a win for New York. Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark and New York Liberty guard Natasha CloudTrevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images Griner isn't shooting the basketball as much as she has in past seasons, but she is still a strong defender in her own right. She came into Tuesday's game averaging 6.0 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 23.8 minutes a game. Advertisement Cloud and the Liberty ended up prevailing on Tuesday over Griner's squad by a final score of 86-81 to improve their record to 10-1. Related: Caitlin Clark Gets Strong Words From Colin Cowherd Amid Fever Season This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 18, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
5 days ago
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WNBA Makes Historic Announcement After Caitlin Clark and Fever Beat Liberty
WNBA Makes Historic Announcement After Caitlin Clark and Fever Beat Liberty originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The New York Liberty suffered their first loss of the season at the hands of Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever on Saturday. Advertisement With Jonquel Jones sidelined due to an ankle injury, the Liberty didn't have enough firepower to counter the Fever's improved play with Clark leading the way. Clark had a near triple-double of 32 points, eight rebounds and nine assists, while Kelsey Mitchell chipped in 22 points in the 102-88 win. The Fever's franchise-record 17 triples made allowed them to dominate, as the Liberty struggled to slow them down. Meanwhile, Sabrina Ionescu and Breanna Stewart combined for 54 points in a losing effort. New York shot just 20.7% from deep, while its bench unit scored only 12 points compared to Indiana's 20. Caitlin Clark shoots over Natasha Cloud.© Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images Despite the loss, however, the Liberty got some positive news from the contest. Natasha Cloud, who finished with five points, six rebounds and five assists, made history with her performance. Advertisement As the WNBA announced, Cloud climbed up to the ninth spot in the WNBA's all-time assists list, surpassing Cappie Pondexter's tally of 1,578. "Natasha Cloud passed Cappie Pondexter (1,578) for 9th all-time in assists," the WNBA wrote. Natasha Cloud now stands at 1,583 assists, and considering her current average, it won't take long before she moves up the assist leaderboard once again. Candace Parker is at No. 8 with 1,634 assists. Cloud, for her part, is averaging 6.1 assists per game, so she's on track to surpass the WNBA legend in her next 10 games or so. The Liberty play the Atlanta Dream, Phoenix Mercury and Seattle Storm next week. Advertisement Related: Caitlin Clark Addresses Her Physical Condition After Return From Injury This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 14, 2025, where it first appeared.
