New York Liberty GM Says Unsigned Natasha Cloud ‘Belongs in the WNBA'
Natasha Cloud was only on the New York Liberty for one season, but the three-time All-Defensive guard made a lasting impact in 2025.
Even so, Cloud, 34, was on the outside looking in when the Liberty made several big roster moves in free agency earlier this month.
Understandably, New York prioritized re-signing its “Big 3,” comprised of Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones, and Sabrina Ionescu, to multiyear deals. The Liberty also poached Satou Sabally from the Phoenix Mercury and signed the three-time All-Star forward to a multiyear deal, too.
Liberty general manager Jonathan Kolb explained why the Liberty opted against re-signing Cloud and defended her political and social activism when speaking with reporters on Sunday.
Cloud remains unsigned as of this writing.
“When it comes to Tash, she’s a phenomenal teammate,” Kolb said, per Lucas Kaplan. “She’s an awesome human being, she’s a phenomenal basketball player, she belongs in the WNBA.”
Kolb added:
“What she stands for is what I stand for. I believe in speaking up for the voiceless. There is no better embodiment of that than Natasha Cloud, and she puts her life on the line every single day with saying what she believes. So I just want to get that out.
Also the fit: We were really fortunate, incredibly lucky to have Natasha Cloud on this team last year. We do not get out to a 9-0 start without her, and like I said earlier, that buffer was really important for seeding. We don’t win Game 1 against Phoenix last year in the first round without her.
So I just want to make that clear, what really happened here, for us, isn’t about fit. It was about our targets in free agency and the condensed nature where we can see how quickly things really move, but also, it probably felt like they took a while too, because when you’re in the dark on things, and we’re pursuing other opportunities, it probably doesn’t feel good.
So for me, I just want to get that out there. Tash is amazing. Look at what she did, she became a New York legend in one year here because of who she is off the floor, but also on.”
Kolb’s comments about “the condensed nature” of this offseason refer to the WNBA and WNBPA’s collective bargaining agreement negotiations, which continued until late March before a historic new CBA was ratified. The end result was incredible, but the process ate up most of the usual WNBA offseason, and free agency didn’t open until April 6. The WNBA’s 30th season tips off on May 8, so teams had to scramble to fill up their rosters.
Cloud was a second-round pick of the Washington Mystics in the 2015 WNBA Draft and won a championship in Washington in 2019. She opted out of basketball altogether in 2020 to prioritize social justice reform, but played three more seasons in D.C. before signing with the Mercury in February 2024. She was traded to the Liberty in March 2025.
Last weekend, Cloud addressed her ongoing free agency.
"I've given my heart to every team and community I've been part of, never fully knowing if the impact I hoped for was truly felt," Cloud wrote on Threads. "In this moment, though, receiving so much love, support, and advocacy means everything. It's a powerful reminder that the impact I've wanted to make beyond the court is real - and aligned with what I believe God has called me to do through this game."
"I'm okay,” she continued. “Just taking things in; even if they weren’t what I expected, & trusting I'll be alright [cloud emoji, hand-heart emoji].”
The Athletic’s Annie Costabile reported later Sunday that multiple WNBA league sources “negated social media rumors that Cloud is being blackballed” due to her outspoken activism, and “numerous teams have expressed interest” in signing Cloud.
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This story was originally published April 26, 2026 at 8:57 PM.