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Former WNBA champion Natasha Cloud is on a quest to win her second title, this time with the New York Liberty. The process to win a championship begins even before the regular season tips off, with offseason player movement and preparation in training camp.
As a 10-year veteran, Cloud understands the importance of training camp, having been part of many. All WNBA teams officially started camp on Sunday, and in Cloud's first with her new team, she was asked how this particular one felt.
The Liberty forward likened it to one of her camps with the 2019 Washington Mystics squad that won the title.
"Honestly, if you want me to go back to 2019 when I had a Washington Mystics team, where there's so many weapons on this team," Cloud said. "That's what really excites me."
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The Liberty is the third franchise that Cloud is suiting up for in her career. She played eight years with the Mystics (2015 to 2019 and 2021 to 2023), then was with the Phoenix Mercury last season.
This offseason, Cloud moved twice. In February, she was part of the four-team deal headlined by Satou Sabally and Alyssa Thomas going to the Mercury. A month later, she was shipped to the Liberty in exchange for draft picks.
Both Cloud and the Liberty are aligned in their goal of securing their second title. The Liberty won their first championship last season by defeating the Minnesota Lynx in five games. Meanwhile, Cloud captured her first title in 2019 with the Mystics when they beat the Sun in five games.
Also read: Sabrina Ionescu drops 3-word reaction to Natasha Cloud debuting Liberty's jersey
Natasha Cloud always raises her performance in the playoffs
Some players' impacts aren't always visible on the box score but are recognized by their teammates and coaches. Others in this category can further increase their production when it matters most.
Natasha Cloud is one of these players. She's a two-way guard who makes effort plays on defense and is a reliable playmaker on offense. She doesn't have to put up massive scoring numbers to help her team, but that doesn't mean she can't. She's proven this via her increased scoring output in the postseason.
Throughout her career, she's only averaged double-figure scoring three times: 10.7 ppg in 2022, 12.7 in 2023 and 11.5 in 2024. These numbers are much higher when she's in the playoffs.
In 2019, when the Mystics won the championship, she put up 13.1 ppg. She averaged 18.5 points in both 2022 and 2023. Last year, Natasha Cloud put up a playoff career-high of 24.5 ppg for the Mercury in two games.
