It is five days until the 2026 WNBA season kicks off, and Natasha Cloud is still without a team. Several explanations have floated for why a player of her caliber remains on the outside looking in. But perhaps none has been more controversial, or more widely debated, than the suggestion that Cloud is being shut out due to her outspoken political views. That’s a narrative Hall of Famer Sue Bird is not willing to accept.
“I personally don’t want to live in a world where Natasha Cloud is being punished for being outspoken. It is not what our league has been built on. In fact, being outspoken is part of the fabric of our league, it’s what connects us to our fan base.” Those were Bird’s words, shared on the Touch More podcast she co-hosts with Megan Rapinoe. For Bird, the WNBA’s willingness to use its platform for social and political expression is not a liability, it is the foundation the league stands on. To punish a player for embodying that, she argued, “will be the antithesis of the WNBA identity.”
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What makes Natasha Cloud‘s situation particularly striking is what she produced on the court last season. During the 2025 WNBA campaign, she served as the starting point guard for the New York Liberty, playing and starting all 41 regular season games. She averaged 10.1 points, 5.1 assists, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game. That’s a well-rounded, two-way performance that would make her an asset on virtually any roster in the league.
Yet despite those numbers, the New York Liberty chose not to bring her back. Their general manager Jonathan Kolb was explicit in addressing the decision, stating that it was purely a basketball and roster construction call, entirely unrelated to Cloud’s activism or political views. He also went on to praise her, describing her as a “phenomenal basketball player” and an “awesome human being.” Whether that explanation has satisfied everyone is a different question, but it does complicate the blackballing narrative considerably.
As for Cloud herself, she has remained deliberately quiet on the specifics of her situation. As Bird acknowledged, “I don’t think we’ll know Natasha’s experience until she tells us.” The closest Cloud has come to addressing it publicly was a post on Threads that read: “I have yet to speak, that’s intentional. I’ve just worked. No sulking, no whining, just work, and I will continue to work as I always have, proving myself right year after year…”
With the season just days away and Cloud still without a home, the clock is ticking. Whether she lands with a team before tip-off, or ends up having to explore other options remains to be seen. But regardless, at 34 and about 11 years in the league, she definitely had quite a career.
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Fan Reactions Pour In After Sue Bird Speaks on Natasha Cloud’s Uncertain Status
Sue Bird’s video weighing in on the Natasha Cloud situation did exactly what you’d expect from a comment made by a Hall of Famer on one of the WNBA’s more polarizing storylines. It sparked immediate and wide-ranging reactions. Fans came from multiple directions. Some were still working through what they believed to be the more valid explanation for why Cloud remains unsigned. Some were offering context around why the controversy surrounding her might not be as clear-cut as it’s being presented. And some were simply hoping she finds a home before the season tips off.
One of the more pointed responses, however, was straight at Bird herself. The Hall of Famer serves as a minority owner of the Seattle Storm, and at least one fan felt that fact made her public commentary ring hollow. “Girl, you’re part of the ownership group for a team. If you want her signed… you might be able to do something about that,” the fan wrote. Another went further, cutting through the sentiment entirely: “Sue, you are part owner of a franchise. If you really felt this strongly, you would have used your influence. Miss me on this performative nonsense.” It was a sharp but not entirely unreasonable challenge, if the concern is genuine, the argument goes, the platform to act is already there.
For another segment of fans, the activism narrative itself was the harder pill to swallow. Rather than viewing Cloud’s unsigned status as political punishment, they pointed to finances as the more straightforward explanation. “I don’t get this narrative that keeps getting pushed… I’m convinced rather strongly that Cloud wants too much $$$ compared to what teams are willing to give her and thus the issue,” one fan said. Another, less diplomatically, echoed the same view: “Why is this even a narrative? She’s old and wants too much money for what she gives back.”
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And those financial arguments carry some weight when you look at the numbers. With ten years of WNBA service, Cloud is entitled to a minimum annual salary of $300,000 under the new CBA. The league’s new salary cap sits at $7 million, but teams like the New York Liberty have already committed heavily to their core, Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones, and Sabrina Ionescu commanding $1.19 million each, with new addition Satou Sabally coming in at $815,000. Fitting Cloud into that picture at a salary reflective of her experience and expectations would have created a meaningful financial squeeze, regardless of how the organization felt about her as a person or a player.
That was exactly the point one fan zeroed in on: “Or maybe there were just less expensive options out there with the same upsides. Cloud isn’t exactly a spring chicken.” It’s a blunt framing, but one that reflects a reality the league operates within every offseason.
But whether the true reason is financial, political, or some combination of both, the debate around Natasha Cloud’s situation shows no signs of quieting. And with the season now days away, every day she remains unsigned only adds another layer to the story.
The post “You’re Part of the Ownership Group”: Sue Bird’s Comments on Natasha Cloud Situation Spark WNBA-Wide Reaction appeared first on EssentiallySports. Add EssentiallySports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
