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WNBA fans were shocked after veteran guard Natasha Cloud got traded to the New York Liberty for draft capital. The Liberty announced the blockbuster trade with the Connecticut Sun on Sunday night. Cloud got traded to New York for the No. 7 pick and a 2026 first-round pick.
Cloud adds experience to the defending champions. The 33-year-old can still be a highly productive player, which she proved last year with the Phoenix Mercury, averaging 11.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 6.9 assists in 38 games. Cloud was on a rebuilding team after Phoenix shockingly moved her to the Sun, who broke their core from last year.
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However, it didn't take long for her to find a new place where she could fight for a championship. Here's how WNBA fans reacted to Natasha Cloud's shocking trade to the Liberty:
"Fever might be in trouble guys," one fan said, referring to Indiana's competition this season.
Another said the Liberty had formed a "superteam":
"Liberty are so scared they had to make an even bigger super team to compete against Napheesa Collier"
Another justified the move, tweeting:
One fan believed the Liberty overpaid:
"Liberty just got robbed bad"
Another raised concern about Natasha Cloud's fit with her new point guard teammate, Sabrina Ionescu:
"Tash was a top pg . Is she gonna work playing with Sab???"
New York Liberty may have gained the edge over Caitlin Clark's Indiana Fever after Natasha Cloud trade
The New York Liberty have made a significant addition that bolsters their depth for next season with Natasha Cloud. They may have trounced Caitlin Clark's Indiana Fever for the best offseason after the move. Indiana added DeWanna Bonner, Natasha Howard, Sophie Cunningham and Brianna Turner, but it's a new core, which may take time to gel.
On the other hand, the Liberty have added to their existing core, which makes them even more lethal. They have a more reliable backup point guard in Cloud to run the second unit in Sabrina Ionescu's absence. Cloud adds more defense on the perimeter with her gritty play. The Liberty needed that after Courtney Vandersloot joined the Sky this offseason.
She could be a vital cog in a potential playoff matchup against the Fever, especially against Clark as the primary defender.
