Natasha Cloud’s Free Agency Journey Concludes

Navigating the free-agent market can be quite the ordeal, but Natasha Cloud’s situation has finally taken a turn. The former Liberty guard has officially signed with the Chicago Sky, just days ahead of the WNBA season starting. Quite the timing, huh?

Sky general manager Jeff Pagliocca expressed confidence in Cloud, stating, “Natasha is one of the best passers and defenders in the league. She fits perfectly alongside other accomplished players on our team.”

The announcement of Cloud’s signing came shortly after the team waived Haley Van Lith, last year’s No. 11 draft pick. It’s interesting, really; the Sky had previously traded draft picks to the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo during the expansion draft, which seems to have blocked those teams from taking Chicago’s unprotected players, including Van Lith.

Cloud has been somewhat of a hot topic lately, especially as an unrestricted free agent without a team as training camp approaches. Reports from The Athletic suggest she turned down at least one offer during the free agency process.

Last week, Cloud received support from Liberty general manager Jonathan Kolb, who stated, “She belongs in the WNBA.”.

In addressing some rumors, he emphasized wanting to “dispel” any notion that Cloud wasn’t a good teammate or that her not being re-signed was tied to her activism on certain social issues. “What Cloud represents is what I believe in. She speaks up for those without a voice,” Kolb added. “No one embodies that better than Natasha.”

Interestingly, the Liberty had considered bringing Cloud back before signing Sato Sabally. But it seems they didn’t have the necessary financial flexibility to re-sign her.

This marks Cloud’s fourth team in as many years; she will likely take on the starting point guard role until Courtney Vandersloot completes her recovery from a knee injury that limited her play last season. It’s going to be intriguing to see how the team shares ball-handling responsibilities once Vandersloot returns.

Cloud, who spent her first eight seasons with the Washington Mystics—where she was drafted in the second round in 2015—signed a two-year deal with the Phoenix Mercury before the 2024 season. The following year, she was traded to the Connecticut Sun, and then moved to the Liberty before the last season in exchange for a couple of first-round picks.

In 2025, Cloud appeared in 41 games, averaging 10.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 5.1 assists. Now, she’s set to report to training camp in Chicago soon; the Sky kick off their season against the Fire this Saturday.